The Third Soul
by mikim
Summary: A killer is walking in Kyoto's streets killing youngs raven-haired girls around 17. Saito is being called by the mysterious Magami Family who claimed to have some information, set during the Bakamatsu [complete side-story added]
1. 7 years from today

Hello guys, here I come again. And no this is not the sequel I promised… I'm working on something else at the moment, so please hang on!! Anyways, thanks to Mara, I corrected some horrible things in that fic and edited it again. Here I'm reposting the revised version, I just hope it's better than the first version, please let me know!

Mara. THANKS a lot, you're a life-savior.

Chapter 1. _"Seven years from today...."_

Standards Disclaimers Apply. Don't sue me, everyone knows it's for pure fun.

…………………………………………

The streets were almost all deserted, and the sun had already disappeared, but it wasn't night yet. She was walking back home from a walk into the city market.

'I'd better hurry up... Touchan will certainly scowl me for being that late!' She quickened her pace. She was a pretty young lady around 17 with long black hair and the prettiest, warm brown eyes of the whole town (as Hisoka, her husband-to-be, liked to say).

She smiled... Hisoka.... Her wedding would be attended in few days and she....

'What are you smiling at, little girl? ' a smooth voice asked.

Startled, the girl stopped in her tracks. Her name was Tomoyo, 'Friendly World', and she was the first victim.......

*.*.*.*.*

For you, my love....For you, Tokio-chan....

*.*.*.*.* 

A long and single plea soared towards the skies... Another girl cried.... It happened  between day and night, the most dangerous times.

*.*.*.*.*

She yawned on her way back home.... She was a waitress in a small restaurant near the market. Today had been a long day, and the owner of the restaurant, who was a nice guy,  had sent her home early because she was tired.

'I hope Okaasan is all right... Maybe I should buy her some herbal tea, for they say it helps when someone's ill... I'll ask Kazu-chan to buy me some!' she decided. A bird cried out, and she looked up.

The sun had already set, but it wasn't night yet....

She shivered, remembering the words she overheard between two Shinsengumi who had eaten at the restaurant. They were talking about a young girl who had been killed the night before.

'Poor thing', she thought. Lost in her thoughts, the young raven-haired woman failed to notice the man who was following her...

*.*.*.*.*

"Saito-sama! Okita-sama! I have a message for you from Kondo-sama!"

A tall man dressed in light blue hakama turned back to see one of the young members of the Shinsengumi, running towards him. Hajime Saito who was the Captain of the third Squad of the Shinsengumi, the army who protected Kyoto against the Ishin, had been nicknamed Mibu no Ookami because he was more wolf than human being. Even his hard face made him look like a wolf, especially with the amber eyes. Next to him, a young man, maybe in his early twenties, maybe even less, stood with a small smile on his lips. Okita Soushi, the captain of the first Squad of the Shisengumi. He was dressed much like Saito with the outer light blue hakama and the band around his forehead.

Out of breath, the boy delivered his message from Kondo the head of the Shinsengumi. The head of the governmental army was waiting for them in his study, at once. 

*.*.*.*.*.*

Later that day....

*.*.*.*.*.*

As 3 of the most powerful men of the Shinsengumi walked to the Magami Domain, one of them whose face seemed to have been sculpted with a blade, recalled what Kondo had told them...

"The Magami family sent a message, asking us to meet them as soon as possible because they might have some information about the girl who was murdered last night."

The Magami......

What do they want? The Magami were one of the oldest families of Kyoto, but unlike the others, they had refused to take sides in the war. Kondo seemed to appreciate the actual Head Clan, though.

Strange....How could they have any information since we kept everything under silence....How did they hear about that?.... Do they have a spy in our troops? Saito narrowed his eyes, a spy.... It was part of his duty to seek and destroy any spies that dared to hidden in within the Shinsengumi.

"Saito-san." A voice interrupted his train of thoughts, and Saito turned to the young man, next to him.

Most of the people who saw him, had seen Okita like a spoiled child playing with a sword because of his young age, but Saito who had been by his side since the beginning of the war knew better that to think of Okita as a child. Many had made that mistake, and most of them have been killed because of their lack of understanding.

Saito brought his attention back to the man next to him who was pretending to be a child. And as usual, Okita, the Captain of the first Squad of the Shisengumi, wore his annoying little smile.

"Do you think they have a spy?"

Saito grunted back at Okita almost playful question, making the younger man's smile widened, but  remained silent, otherwise, because here were nothing to be said, as they stood in front of the Magami Estate. The huge portals, made of black wood, were quite imposing and breathed of power and wealth. On each door, was painted the symbol of the Magami Family: a flying bird with an incredible long neck and huge wings. Like a wonder, the door seemed to open by itself, making Saito frown. He could felt something odd and wrong in this place, something disturbing which put him ill at ease and that was something he hated. Without thinking, he put a hand on his katana.

A man appeared, and, after a deep bow, he gestured them to follow him without a word. The man lead them to the center of what seemed to be the main house of the Magami Domain, which was one of the biggest in whole Kyoto. It was located outside the town, at the foot of a mountain where a  river crossed the domain, the same river that supplied a large part of Kyoto with water.

Their silent guide stopped in front a large door, which he opened for them.

In the room, were four people who were sitting in a pyramid, and in front of them was a man, maybe in his late forties. He had pepper-and-salt hair, his eyes were black, and by the look of the ceremonial robes he was wearing with the Magami Seal above the heart, he could only be the Head of the Magami Clan.

Sitting behind him, on his right, was a young man, around 19 who had yet black hair and like his father, his eyes were black. He was dressed in ceremonial robes too, but his seal was smaller. By his sitting position and the seal over his heart, the young man seemed to be quite important to the Magami Family. Must be the heir. But while his father's face was expressionless, the young man's eyes were full of hatred and oddly enough... Saito recognized hope hidden deep inside…

At the Head Clan left side was a young woman kneeling. Saito narrowed his eyes at her, inspecting her furtively. Her long raven hair was tied up a tight knot in a high ponytail, done with a red string with 2 dangling locks that were framing her delicate face. Her pale skin was accented by the color of her dark hair and the red string in it, and like the others, she was dressed in ceremonial robes with a red gi and white hakama, also marked with the Magami Seal on her shoulder.

No... he thought, suddenly detached from the scene going on. Not pale. White. Just as a ghost should be.

He couldn't see the color of her eyes since she wasn't looking at him; her gaze was focused on her lap.

What was a woman doing here?

Just behind her a man was standing, dressed in black hakama and white gi. Behind them, another door...

"Please, sit down." The voice of the Head of the Clan was deep and rich. "I am Reiji, Reiji Magami, Head of the Magami Clan. This is my son and heir, Toya, and this my daughter, Tokio," he said, gesturing to his children who bowed. "And this man is my daughter's guardian, Tatsumi."

"Why did you call for us, Magami-san?" asked Saito, bluntly, not caring about the consequences of his actions. The murdered girls he had found were quite unnerving: no clue, no tracks, nowhere for the wolf to begin his hunt. The feeling of being useless had been eating him alive for the past two days, turning him irritable and bitter and as a result, almost everyone had fled him. Well not that he cared, in fact he was rather glad to have people off his back.

"As the rumors say, a wolf indeed," said a voice dryly, behind the paper-wall. Saito followed every move of the man, Tatsumi silently stood up, obeying to an invisible signal and opened the panel, revealing an old woman. He then sat back behind the girl.

"I am Atsuko Magami, and in front of me, young man," she told Saito sharply, "you have to give your personal particulars."

Saito saw Okita's eyes twinkled with laughter as he was given a rebuke.

Brat.

 Saito gritted his teeth, maybe in the next sparring session, he should teach that annoying little toad to control the fires he had in his eyes, well at least for himself.

"I am the Captain of the third Squad of the Shisengumi, Hajime Saito." Almost in a mocking manner, Saito bowed to the woman, who snorted in return, not fooled a minute by his so-called submission. When he sat up, Saito could see an angry flame burning in the boy's eyes, making him almost smile.

"I am Soushi Okita, Captain of the first Squad of the Shisengumi."  Okita greeted the woman a bit more cheerfully than the tradition allowed him, his tone joyous. After all, it wasn't everyday where you could met a woman who could make the Miburo bow and almost look respectful… 

"And I am Kondo, Head of the Shisengumi." Kondo smiled, a friendly smile, which the Magami Head returned, as if the two of them were sharing a secret. "Magami-san, why did you call for us?" he said, looking at the Head of the Clan.

The Head Clan face lost, all of the sudden its warmth and his eyes turned back to frozen black crystal. "Haven't you find, last night and the night before, of the bodies of young girls around 17 who have been killed?" he asked, his tone dry and cold. The girl, behind him, shivered.

"I have," answered Saito. "But what I can not explain is how you know about them... Magami-san," he finished smugly, nodding to the old ghoul.

The girl's hands were shaking, she clenched her fists trying to hide the trembling of her hands in the fabric of her hakama but a pair of golden eyes didn't miss her. Too late.

His eyes met the old ghoul's again, she nodded, sad, andd she looked back at the girl.

"Are you in charge of this case, Saito-san?" Kondo nodded to Saito, who in return nodded back to the Head Clan, for once, without mockery. The man aura was strong and forced the respect. "We may have some information for you, Saito-san," continued Reiji Magami, "But, in exchange, you'll let us help you hunt that man down."

"May I ask why, Magami-sama?"

"Because we already faced your killer once and this time, we'll get rid of him forever." Reiji Magami snapped, livening up to his anger. His thin lips tightened under his contained fury.

"Why don't you let the girl talk for herself, Reiji?" The old crown asked. Startled, the Head of the Clan turned to face the old woman.

"Otousama," the girl whispered, "Atsuko-sama is right."

"Tokio!" her father snapped.

"Otousama" she continued, raising her eyes to meet her father's. "He's trying to get me."

Her father gave her a long, hard, stare but she faced it without even a blink of the eye while the three Shinsengumi were frowned..... get her? What the hell does that mean?

The girl finally turned to the Shinsengumi as her father's shoulders dropped in defeat. 

"Before telling you what I know, you'll have to swear to let me help you to catch him." She said in a steady voice. 

"Why?" Okita asked, "Why do you want to help us, if the killer's looking for you? Maybe it would be safer for you to remain within your clan walls. " 

A sad smile crossed her lips as she answered "I'll grow insane, knowing he's out killing other girls because of me." Silence followed her statement, all stared at the still sadly smiling girl when Atsuko broke the silence with her sharp voice. 

"First of all, before we can go on, the Miburo has to swear to protect Tokio's life." 

Saito grunted, looking at the girl who returned his gaze. Like her brother's and father's, her eyes were black but they were deeper than the night itself. The sun was peering in the room and when the sunlight touched her hair, it remained black, unlike normal people whose hair would shown brown...Kondo turned to him, so did Okita. He knew it, but he could only stare at the girl who stared back at him. Her unnerving black pools were intriguing him, infatuating him and he didn't even know why but what was for sure was that he couldn't tear his eyes from hers.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

"Maybe, you can explain to me first what I'm about to drown myself in," he answered in response to her unspoken question, after a moment of silence.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The old crown smiled, even the Head Clan and the brother seemedd relieved as the girl nodded

"What do you know the Magami Family, Saito-san?" the brother, Toya, suddenly inquired. Okita and Kondo remained silent but turned their attention to Toya, while the Miburo kept on staring at the little girl, answering.

"Nothing much, expect of your refusal to take a side in the war."

"We are the guardians of Japan's spiritual balance, Saito-san." Saito, frowning, turned to Toya, the spell of Tokio's eyes suddenly freeing him. The boy was talking softly, as if revealing to a child the greatest secret of the world, which unnerved Saito. "That's why we never take side in humans quarrels."

"And what does that..." Saito started, scowling the younger man. Their country was at war, a war that could bring their walls down, no matter how often they claimed to be neutral. How could they, the mighty Magami Family, be so uncaring about the war going on?

Toya cut him sharply, not enjoying the Miburo angry flame that was burning in his eyes. "To protect this land, while you use a sword, we use what you could call magic." 

And there, we go. Saito sarcastically thought. Saito clenched his teeth. "I don't believe in that kind of things."

"Oh! you'd better!" Toya exclaimed, almost happy to find a fault in the infamous Miburo.

That boy is getting on my nerves.... 

Before Saito could answer, a small voice rose. 

"It started when I was 10 years old, 7 years ago," the girl began. "One day, I was practicing all by myself with a spell Father had just taught me. I didn't know that I needed a protection with that kind of spell... He sensed it."

Okita stopped her, not quite understanding what she meant. "You mean, the killer? Our killer, the one you already faced?" he insisted rather heavily.  

"Yes…" her voice trailed and dropped to a whisper. "That's how I attracted him... He.... came to me...and... For... for the 10 years-old that I was...he was far too strong and...." She bit her lower lip and the man behind her put a hand on her shoulder and she bent her head, unable to finish.

"Muraki, your killer, cursed my sister," Toya said, looking at her. He, then, looked back at Saito, "but it was a strange spell, made to be broken."

The young man clenched his fists hard enough to turn his knuckles white. "For three days, my sister was slowly, but surely dying because Muraki was drinking her life dry... So, my mother decided to...she..."

"My wife threw her life to Muraki in order to free our daughter," finished their father, his face was a mask of ice and nothing could be read in his hard, black eyes. "That was exactly what he was waiting for. He killed my wife and marked my daughter but before leaving he came to me, and told me: 'In 7 years from today, I'll come back and take your daughter with me, Magami-san.' With that, he disappeared until two nights ago." The Magami Head Clan face was contorted with mixed feeling: anger, pain, love, concern and coldness flew on his face, too fast to be recognizable but for an observant watcher or a close friend, it was quite easy to understand in what turmoil Muraki reappearance had put the man into.

"He meant killing her?" Okita suggested.

"No, he wants me......" Tokio said softly, drawing the attention back to her.


	2. Memory

'The Third Soul'  
  
by Mikim (mikim@multimania.com)  
  
Chapter 2: Memory  
  
Standards Disclaimers apply: RK: Watsuki's, RK: not mine.  
  
"He wants.....you?" Okita was shocked....  
  
What the hell these people are talking about?  
  
The young Captain glanced at his chief and at his friend. If the former was, as usual, expressionless, the latter was, oddly, ... shocked too. Strange.... Usually, Saito-san didn't even bother to raise an eyebrow about girls, but that one seemed to...... Naaaah. Okita, firmly, pushed that thought aside. It wasn't possible for the wolf attracted to a woman...Ridiculous!  
  
"Magami-san, are you telling us that somebody is killing girls in Kyoto streets using magic? Forgive me, but it's a bit hard to swallow." snarled Saito.  
  
He hated wasting his time.  
  
"Hmpf! Kondo! Hadn't you taught yours Captains anything?" the old woman replied.  
  
"You have to consider, Atsuko-sama, that for people like us, it's a bit hard to understand your ways," Kondo simply answered, a small smile playing on his lips. "Reiji-san, maybe an example will be needed to convince my strong-headed captains."  
  
Reiji Magami smiled back "Maybe, Kondo-san, if you tell them the truth, it will be easier."  
  
Saito raised an eyebrow at his chief, while Okita looked at him with expectant eyes, and Kondo didn't miss the broad smile on Atsuko's lips.  
  
"Reiji-san and I are from the same Sword School. We've been friends since that day."  
  
"Saito-san," the girl began, "if I gave you some informations about the girl killed two nights ago and the one killed last night, would you trust me?"  
  
Saito smiled and replied, "'I'd rather think that you are my killer, Magami- san."  
  
The girl blinked, startled, and then, smiled, but her smile would have made a small child cry, by its sadness.  
  
"I can't be your killer, Saito-san, because I can't go outside. He would be able to find me if I dared to put a foot beyond these walls."  
  
"Find you?" Okita asked, confused.  
  
"There are spells cast upon me to protect me, but they only work inside the Magami Domain, where the Elders' aito powers are the more powerful. If I leave this area, he'd be able to sense me and catch me."  
  
Saito raised a eyebrow at her comment but let the matter drop. After all, he had already meet a guy who thought he was God himself.  
  
"What can you tell me about the girl found two nights ago?"  
  
"She was.... a pretty girl, with long black hair and brown eyes, around 17. Her name was Tomoyo. She..." she bit her lip, and took a deep breath, "she was murdered, that's for sure, but...there's a reason why...you didn't find any wounds on her body...Her face....By the look of her face, you'd tell she was killed by....fear....She was wearing a red kimono, with purple birds. She had a red ribbon in her hair...and she...."  
  
Saito, amazed, watched as the girl opened her shaking hands and covered her face.  
  
She was about to cry.  
  
The man, Tatsumi, was about to comfort her, when Toya stopped him, with a sake of his head.  
  
"And, what about the girl found last night?"  
  
"She... her name was Aï and...."  
  
"Howcome you know all this details, Magami-san?" Okita was trying to ease the girl's mind. I cannot stay here and watch that girl suffering!  
  
"I saw him killing them..." She removed her hands, her head still lowered.  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"I told you,' Toya said,annoyed," he cursed my sister! He linked her soul to his, and he shows her anything he wants."  
  
"So, you witnessed him killing these girls." It wasn't a question, but rather a statement.  
  
"Yes. And he knows he cannot touch me as long as I remain in the Magami Domain."  
  
"So, that's why he's killing girls who look like you."  
  
The girl's head snapped up to look in Saito's eyes, hers were huge and she was ready to burst in tears...  
  
"They look like me?"  
  
Saito nodded. "Long black hair, pale skin,around your built...I know that description would fit almost any girl in Kyoto but....Do you always wear that red ribbon in your hair?"  
  
"Yes, it was one of my mother's..." came the shaking answer.  
  
"Both victims had a red ribbon or string in their hair, and maybe that's how he chose them. I bet that his next victim will have long raven hair, pale skin and a red ribbon or string in her hair."  
  
Saito's words dug deeply in her heart, Tokio closed her eyes. 'They looked like me. Oh, dear spirits, please, forgive me....'  
  
"That's enough!" snapped Atsuko. "Stop confusing that child."  
  
"As you wish, but tonight, another family will cry the loss af a daughter or wife because, tonight, another girl will be murdered!"  
  
Saito was angry. Oh, so angry! They knew from the very beggining, no, they could have prevent it. And hell no! They waited till the second, no the third murder to call them.  
  
Reiji Magami looked at him with calm eyes and said "I'm afraid this is my fault, Saito-san, my daughter wanted to call you before, but I refused because what she was asking, what she's still asking, is far too dangerous." Reiji Magami said, looking at his daughter, who stared him back.  
  
"What does that mean?" Okita asked  
  
"Magami-san" he said looking at Tokio, "you don't mean going out of the Magami Domain to Kyoto?"  
  
The young woman tuned her attention back to Okita, leaving the battle of wills between her father and she unsettled.  
  
"But I do, Okita-san," she answered "I have to go against him, and I'd rather kill myself than being Muraki's puppet again...And if I stay here, I know I'll turn insane, and Muraki will win."  
  
"But how can I protect you against something I don't even believe in?" Saito saw the Magami boy ready to beat him up but his father raised a hand, without turning to him, making him stop as Atsuko said:  
  
"He's here by your request, Tokio, you have to convince him, that was part of our pact." After a moment of silence and hesitation, Tokio declared:  
  
"Then, Saito-san, let me show you something."  
  
The girl held out a white hand to him, as white as a ghost, as white as death. "I cannot harm you, because I need you against Muraki, if it's what stopping you...." Tokio added softly, since Saito was just looking at her hand, unmoving.  
  
Okita smiled. She may be in troubles, but she has a strong spirit...  
  
Saito ignored the implicit sarcasm of him being afraid of a girl and firmly placed his hand in hers. "What I want to show you is one of my dreams," she said. "it will just be my memories, so you won't be able to stop whatever you'll see."  
  
She, then, closed her eyes and Saito felt dizzy, as if the world was spinning....  
  
He closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them, he was standing next to her, in a street of Kyoto, and the sun was setting.... He turned to her, but her gaze was focused on the scene before them.  
  
He turned his eyes back, just in time to see a young girl, who was almost running, a red ribbon in the hair, smiling. "What are you smiling at, little girl?" asked a voice. Startled, the girl stopped as a man stepped out of the shadows. He was tall, but for an unknown reason, Saito couldn't see his face.  
  
Tokio closed her eyes, trying to block the tears that were coming, but in vain.  
  
The man stepped closer to the girl who seemed frozen. "Do you like her, Tokio-chan? What's your name, girl? Oh, yes, that's true, you cannot speak, I've forgotten that my spell had frozen you...." Muraki then laughed. "Well, you're pretty, but my Tokio-chan is prettier. Now, sleep."  
  
The girl's eyes widened and she tried to move but it looked like she was caught into a giant web, her breath became laboured, and slowly, she lacked air, her face was turning blue, when Muraki suddenly released her. His prey fell on the ground, hardly breathing.  
  
"This isn't fun, Tokio-chan. You don't scream loud enough." Saito heard Tokio's crying, but he couldn't face her. His eyes were glued to the scene that was playing in front of him....  
  
He could almost feel the killer's joy as he drew out a sword from anywhere, Muraki was about to stab his victim when he stopped, murmuring something about new clothes he didn't want to get spoiled.  
  
Saito watched as Muraki released a spell, he felt it, he felt the girl's pain as Fear took upon her, devouring her heart, killing her soul, and it felt good, it was honey, oh so good.......  
  
Tokio's scream took him back to reality and his eyes snapped open and he realized he was in Okita's arms, who was worriedly looking down at him. He was still holding her hand, he could feel her hand which was slowly turning into ice as she slowly opened her eyes, colour of the night. She was in her guardian's arms, her brother at her left.  
  
Tears slowly made their way down her cheeks....  
  
"How is she?" a concerned Okita asked the Guardian, who had just stepped out of Tokio's room.  
  
"She's sleeping."  
  
Saito was silent. Since, the 'dream' he had rarely spoken, only a few, rather colds, 'no' or 'yes' and shortly, Okita had left him alone with his thoughts, none of the Magami had talked to him, they all fussed around the girl after what happened in the Ceremony Room, Saito had seen the thoughtful look of Kondo on him but on the moment, that was nothing after what he had felt during the 'dream'.  
  
The Guardian turned to him. 'She only showed you a little of what she truly felt. What you felt was even absorb by her, because she doesn't allow herself to think again about... that." Disgust clearly heard in his voice, Saito almost felt the man's hatred for him.  
  
"To convince you, she let herself go, she played Muraki's rules, only for a moment but, now, I'm damn sure Muraki knows about what happened, and so he'd be able to touch her where it hurts the most. Exactly where to make her dive in the darkness, because of you!"  
  
The Guardian sent a last disgusted look to Saito and turned on his heels and walked away, leaving the two Captain by themselves, outside Tokio's room.  
  
"What happened when you took her hand?"  
  
"It was like..." the older man began and stopped and for the first time of his life, Saito found himself hesistating. What happened, himself, he didn't really know but it had felt as if somebody else took possession of his soul and heart, imposing one's feeling, crushing the other under one's will.  
  
"It was like....a rape. Muraki took possesion of her heart and he crushed her feelings, imposing his. I felt his joy, he was glad to kill that girl..."  
  
"The sun is about to set." Okita remarked.  
  
"Another girl will die tonight."  
  
"How can you be so sure?"  
  
Saito had a feral smile as he looked at the sunset, "Tell me, Okita, do you really believe a puppet master will stop playing with his favorite toy before the latter's broken?"  
  
Well, that's all. For those who have read 'Favorite toy' from Anonym, i did it on purpose, because i simply adore that fic! (well, i love every fic from Anonym! Even those who haven't been written, yet!!) 


	3. Resolution

"The Third Soul"  
  
Chapter 3: Resolution  
  
Standards Disclaimers apply  
  
"Tell me, Okita, do you really believe a puppet master will stop playing with his favourite toy before the latter's broken?" Saito's words played in Okita's mind.  
  
...Of course, he's right... After all, we're killers, too...  
  
Okita's eye drifted to the sunset, lost in his thoughts and both men remained still till a scream was heard from the room, behind them: Muraki had just killed another girl.  
  
Kondo stepped out of the room and faced his two Captains. "We have to stop that fool, Saito, go in; Atsuko-sama wishes to have a word with you. Okita, with me, we're going back to the city."  
  
"Hai." Okita answered as Saito slid the panel open and stepped in.  
  
:::::::::::::  
  
Toya had his sister in his arms; she was crying her heart out, while their father, behind them was chanting something Saito didn't understand.  
  
He watched Tokio's eyes slowly closed.  
  
"We have to do it now." Stated the young man, looking intensely at his sister's face, "she won't be able to resist for long, alone. The attack has been really tough, tonight." His voice was cold, almost clinical.  
  
He must have a really tough control on himself.  
  
Saito turned to Atsuko who was looking at him "Do what?" he snarled.  
  
Cold anger was boiling inside of him against Muraki.  
  
That son of bitch.  
  
Even in her sleep, she was crying, Saito kneeled beside her bed, eyes locked on her face: her lips were red and a little blood was running down her chin. She must have bit her lips hard enough to draw blood.  
  
Bastard, when I'll catch you....  
  
"She said the new victim's name was Hitomi, she was killed near a bridge." Toya announced, softly, his eyes still on his sister who was sleeping in his arms.  
  
Saito nodded. Her red lips on her pale face reminded him of blood in the snow.  
  
How can i protect her?  
  
"You'll have to link your soul to hers, Saito-san, then, she'll have a grip on reality, even during Muraki's attacks and so you'll be able to know anytime where she is, if she's alright or wounded. And if the emotion is strong enough, you'll be able to sense and understand her feelings." Atsuko said, giving him without knowing it, the answer of his worries.  
  
"It will like she's a part of you. Always there but if you don't want her to share your feelings or thoughts, you'll just have to decide it: your will is the key." continued Reiji.  
  
"Our magic is only some willpower focused on an only goal. At first, you'll need a little practice, then it will be as natural as talking.", announced Toya.  
  
"What about her?"  
  
"We'd refuse to link both of you, if it doesn't work both ways, Saito-san. That's the difference between us and Muraki.", the head clan of the Magami clan seemed a bit upset to even be considered like his worse enemy.  
  
"How do we do it?"  
  
"In fact, you already started. By your acceptance, you opened your soul and created a bridge between you.", smiled Atsuko, a smile full of sadness.  
  
"But, won't he be able to feel me? And track me down?" Somewhere, deep within, Saito hoped Muraki could.  
  
It would be so much fun to trap that bastard... But he also knew that it would cause her pain.  
  
"No, your will is strong enough to keep him out of your link to Tokio. But, if you ever let your guard down, you'll..."  
  
"I am always on my guard." Saito cut her, smiling broadly.  
  
"That's why you've been chosen..."  
  
"And that's why, her brother and I agreed to this."  
  
"Because of me?" Saito was dazed. Before that day, he had never really heard anything about the Magami Clan, for him, they were just some kind of weirdoes, lost in their own domain, too scornful to take sides in the war, that was crazy.  
  
"Yes, because of your infamous reputation, Miburo. We all felt your ken-ki, yours and Okita-san's one. But we chose you, because you seem more capable than Okita-san for this and Kondo also told us it was like a second nature for you to track down criminals."  
  
So, that's why they called for Okita and me.  
  
Saito turned his gaze back to the young girl he was about to link his life and soul to: asleep, she truly was a 17-year-old girl. In the ceremony room, she had appeared to him like out of times  
  
"She only showed you a little of what she truly felt: what you felt was even absorb by her, because she doesn't allow herself to think again about... that." Disgust clearly heard in his voice, Saito almost felt the man's hatred for him.  
  
"To convince you, she let herself go, she played Muraki's rules, only for a moment but, now, I'm damn sure Muraki knows about what happened and so he'd be able to touch her where it hurts the most. Exactly where to make her dive in the darkness, because of you"  
  
The Guardian's words played again in his mind, a little smile came to his lips as he decided that from now, a wolf will be there, waiting for his day, hidden in the shadows, ready and Saito founded himself eager for the next sunset, between day and night, the most dangerous time...but wonderful for a hunt...  
  
He had to admit, through, that the one who nicknamed Miburo had a wonderful way with words...  
  
..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..  
  
If Saito had turned his head, he would have seen Atsuko's eyes darkened with secrets. She watched him looking at her granddaughter, as he smiled and the image of a wolf immediately came to her mind.  
  
Inside, she was screaming with joy, but also weeping like a newborn child. I shouldn't do that. But that's the only way to stop all this. Oh, Kami-sama, would you forgive me? No, in fact, she thought, I don't care if the Gods hate me, but you, little child would you forgive me for what I'm about to do?  
  
Tokio, dear child. I hadn't told you all the truth: i let you think that the link can be broken, but it can't! Well, not in the way, you're thinking...  
  
Only death can free you from Saito and him from you. Since he's dancing with Death all the time, she'd catch him, sooner or later, and you'll be free but for a sensitive girl as you, Saito's death will mean yours! !  
  
I should be the one who being hunted down because this is all my fault, only mine. Oh, dear Spirits, what am I doing to these children? Make them pay for my stupidity?  
  
............................................................  
  
I know it's short, sorry but i had problems with this chapter. Lol, my, this is only the third chapter! What will happen to the other if i already have some problem? 


	4. Dreams

"The Third Soul"  
by Mikim (mikim@multimania.com)  
Chapter 4 : Dreams  
Standards Disclaimers Apply : Rk : Watsuki's and Co ; not mine (unfortunately.)  
"Night, young lady."  
Startled, the girl turned around to face the man, her long black hair tied up in a long braid with a red ribbon.  
No.  
A white hand with long and slim fingers came into view, at her right.  
His hand.  
The girl seemed petrified. Only her dilated pupils were evidence of her humanity, that she weren't a statue but a human being.  
Please.  
The white hand gently stroke the slender neck of his prey, the long, slim fingers too gentle for a man, she thought. They lightly caressed, almost as a lover would, the cheek of his victim. The girl tried to cry out, but the only sound able to pass through the barrier of her lips reminded her of the death cry of a bird.  
Please. Stop.  
"Oh, her will is stronger than i first thought !"  
Amazed, the deadly fingers had stopped their dance, but now they were caressing the red lips of the girl.  
"She looks more like you than I believed, don't you think, Tokio-chan ?"  
The fingers trailed down and closed around her neck.  
NOO! MURAKI ! ! !  
As life escaped the girl's body, Muraki absorbed all her willpower along with her memories. Images came to her mind, sounds to her ears, smells. Attacked by everywhere, her senses assaulted, a soul fell deeper in the darkness, disgusted of herself since a part of herself was delighted at the sight of this new corpse lying on the ground, the pain that had been felt, the last sound of the victim seemed to be the glorious sound ever.  
  
**~~**~~**~~**  
She was drowning. She had to do something, but no matter how hard she tried to move, her legs and arms refused to obey and remained still. It seemed to her that something was holding her prisoner, she tried to make them understand they were about to kill her if they don't let her go but they refused to listen to her. She could see faces, familiar ones, but she was unable to remember their names. Their worried faces scared her even more so she tried to push them away. She was fighting against them when exhausted, she gave up.  
Then, he came in.  
She saw him slide the panel open. It must be the man who had left before who had told him to come in. As he came closer, she saw his golden eyes, which were piercing her, as wolf's eyes.  
His aura was so strong, she was going to be safe.  
A man starting to chant behind her. It was a strange one, smothering her and upsetting her at the same time because whenever she was about to understand what the man was saying, the elusive meaning escaped her at the very last moment.  
The wolf-man kneeled beside her, and his eyes were burning with anger and sadness. For her maybe? Her gaze was locked on the man, and he was the last thing she saw before falling deeply asleep.  
*^*^*^*^*^*  
His breathing woke her up. He was holding her effortlessly. She modulated her breathing to fit his while she studied his profile. His nose was slender and straight, the lips slender too, but what fascinated her, she whose eyes and hair absorbed light, was the wolf-man golden eyes, as golden as a summer sun.  
He must have realized she was awake since he turned his eyes to her without stopping walking. Their gazes locked for a moment, then he took his attention back to where he was heading, but he moved her so that her forehead would rest in the hollow of his shoulder, touching his neck.  
His warmth invaded her and she closed her eyes again.  
  
:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*  
  
His sudden stop woke her, she opened her eyes, upset. Another man, all in black, was there, standing in their way. He gestured to the wolf-man as if he wanted the wolf-man to give him his precious burden, but the wolf-man only tightened his grip on her. The eyes of the man in black lit up with anger but the wolf-man didn't pay attention to him and continued walking as if nothing had happened. But the man in black didn't give up and turned to the wolf-man. He put a hand on the wolf-man's shoulder to make him turned around.  
Really upset, she decided to do something, but her arms were so heavy! Despite this she braced herself and she put her hand on the wolf-man chest. She then gripped his hakama as if her life depended on. The eyes of the man in black widened with shock and pure despair, he opened his mouth, ready to say something, then changed his mind and bent his head, in defeat. The wolf walked away.  
Tatsumi, sorry.  
Her hand fell back on her lap and she sighed, tired. The wolf was looking down at her, a little dazed, she stared him back without blinking, the wolf- man nodded at her once and he focused again on their way.  
She sighed again and went back to sleep.  
  
*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:  
  
Warm. Safe. And just before disappearing in the land of dreams, she realized that she knew his name : Saito.  
  
*******  
  
"Wake up."  
He shook her lightly. She blinked several times.  
"Where are we ?"  
"Your brother told me to come here. He said the Elder Council will do the necessity."  
She looked up to him, "thank you," she smiled to him, and he nodded and looked around scanning the darkness. Toya didn't let him bring some light, pretending it was part of the ritual. Saito had cursed that young boy several times now, and he was still cursing him since where they were was in the middle of nowhere. They were in the forest, behind the main houses of the Magami Domain. Saito could hear a waterfall, near them.  
The moon had risen some time ago, but there were so many trees that he couldn't see the sky.  
"Could you please, let me down ?'"  
Saito let her go but took a hold on her arm before she fell on the ground. As Toya had said, she was exhausted.  
"They will arrive soon." She said.  
"They? Who?"  
"In fact, we're already there, Tokio-chan!" a joyful voice sang on their left. Saito cursed Toya again because the young man had forbidden him to take his katana and thinking that people had actually managed to sneak that close to them, made Saito really angry at that insufferable brat that was Tokio's brother.  
"TSUZUKI! Shut the hell up, will you?" a male voice yelled at the younger one. The new man seemed to be on their right this time.  
Saito heard the young one, Tsuzuki, grunt a little surely annoyed of being yelled on that harshly in front of other people.  
"Tokio-chan, are you alright? We can postpone this, if you're not feeling well, you know." A concerned female voice reasoned in front of them. Saito tightened his grip on Tokio's arm. Not being able to feel how many people were there or where they were angered him to no point.  
"No, it's will be okay, thank you Sakuraï-sama."  
"Oy! He really has a strong ken-ki! Hey, Tokio-chan you've chosen damn well!"  
"Watch your mouth, Brat!"  
"Who are you talkin at old crown?"  
"Tsuzuki-kun, show a little more respect to Ryu-sama, he's been one of the elders for a greater among of time than you have!" Sakuraï's voice sounded shocked but no one paid attention to her since Ryu yelled at the same time:  
"What did you say?"  
"OLD CROWN!" Tsuzuki yelled at the top of his lungs.  
"Tsuzuki-sama, Ryu-sama, please don't start bickering." Tokio pleaded. But Saito couldn't believe his ears. THAT was supposed to be the Great Council of the Magami Elders as Toya referred to, but right now, they only sounded for Saito as a bunch of kids fighting over a candy!  
"What the hell...Why are you yelling that way, Ryu? What happened? Great Spirit!" Atsuko yelled.  
"Atsuko! There you are! I still disagree on this! You disobeyed to the Council decision!" Ryu changed of victim and headed his anger towards the newcomer.  
"I did not!"  
"You did!"  
"Hey, old crown, we haven't finished yet!!!" Tsuzuki came back in the argument.  
That was too much for Saito, on one hand there was Tokio and Sakuraï trying to ease down the argument going on, while Atsuko, Ryu and Tsuzuki were still yelling at one another. So he did the only sensible thing he had on mind, he burst with laughter.  
After a little time, Saito managed to take control on him. He could imagine Tokio's dazed face and he could hear the other's gaps of surprise. But a little chuckle froze Saito's laughter that came from behind his back.  
"I wouldn't have said it better myself: a bunch of kids fighting over a candy! How right you are!" Saito whirled around, pushing Tokio behind him. The man was so close! How on earth did that man come that close! And.. He had repeated what he had thought word for word...What the hell? Was that man able to actually read his thoughts?  
A small hand came on Saito's shoulder. Tokio's.  
"It's alright, she said, it's Kamuro-sama, the First Elder."  
The others had fallen in a respectful silence at Kamuro's approach.  
"Now, he said, what was all that fuss about?"  
"As usual, Kamuro-sama, Tsuzuki-kun annoyed Ryu-sama in a way or another and the usual fight went on, then Atsuko-sama arrived and Ryu-sama attacked her of betrayal to the Council since she let Tokio-chan here call for the Miburo." It was a new voice, a male one, Saito turned on him, trying to find the source of this new voice. Tokio must have felt it because she whispered the name of "Watari-sama, on my right" in Saito's ear.  
"Very well, thank you, Watari. Now, let's start the Council and please, behave yourselves for at least giving this young man a decent image of the Magami' s Elders."  
"Now, Ryu. We all know, my friend, that Tokio would not be able to survive another attack of Muraki. Like me, you felt what happened this evening, you felt her pain and hatred as well as her joy and..."  
Tokio's little scream cut Kamuro's speech and she fell into Saito's arms.  
"I'm sorry, Tokio-chan, but Ryu needed to be reminded of some vital points."  
She nodded against Saito's chest, and Kamuro went on.  
"So, Ryu, do you still believe she could go on alone?"  
"I...You. ...Oh, well, but only if Tokio-chan says so!" Ryu answered, regret, defeat, the weight of age and troubles clearly heard in his voice.  
"Please, Ryu-sama. Grand-father."  
See you in next part ! 


	5. One

"The Third Soul"  
  
by Mikim (mikim@multimania.com)  
  
Chapter 5 : One.  
  
Standards Disclaimers Apply  
  
Who could tell that the country was facing a war? The day was bright. It was almost summer time as four people were heading towards a large city.  
  
There were three men, one with a light blue jacket and another with a deep blue one, and a woman who was walking between two of them, behind them, as the woman's shadow walked the third man.  
  
They were on their way towards the capital, the heart of the country, the city which was on the brink of destruction because of the ongoing war: they were walking to Kyoto.  
  
Saito turned his head to his left to watch her : she was still wearing the red string in her black hair, but she had switched her ceremonial robes for a dark red kimono with purple birds on it. Next to her in a protective manner was her brother. He also changed into a deep blue hakama and white gi, and the two of them were talking quietly. Behind the siblings, was Tokio's Guardian, dressed in black, he was holding his little mistress's belongings.  
  
Though, his gaze always went back to her with her hair that seemed to absorb light, the pale skin...  
  
Tokio must have felt his gaze on her because she looked at him, expecting him to ask her a question. He shook his head in a negative way and focused on the road, or rather he tried to, but his mind keep wandering and he recalled what had happened the night before...  
  
**********  
  
"Hold her hand; we need a physical contact between you."  
  
Saito took Tokio's hand but as he let her arm go, she lost her only physical support, and she, dangerously, drifted to the ground once again, but he caught her first.  
  
"Seems to me that you'd better take her back in yours arms, Saito-san."  
  
"Tokio-chan." Sakuraï's sad voice asked, "Are you all right? Do you want me to help you a little?"  
  
"No, thank you Sakuraï-sama," Tokio answered, and as he took her back in his arms, he realized that her voice was even weaker than before.  
  
"Ryu, you lost your last argument. Tokio-chan obviously needs his help because, we, Elders we can't give her what she needs the most," Kamuro declared.  
  
What she needs the most? What does that mean ? Saito frowned. Kamuro was saying this on purpose. For him. He was trying to give him a message but...  
  
"All right. If it's what the Council thinks is best for Tokio-chan, then I'll give her all my help." Ryu's deep voice was tainted by emotion.  
  
In his arms, Saito felt Tokio turned her head into Ryu's direction and heard her whisper, "Thank you, Grandfather."  
  
"You look so much like your mother..." Ryu whispered. "Little girl, you are the jewel of the clan, not only because you are the daughter of my daughter but also because of your heart."  
  
"Yes, Tokio-chan, please, remember when you'll leave the Domain to follow the wolf that you can always come back here, whatever happens to you," Tsuzuki went on. "Remember, Tokio-chan, here from the smaller child to the older people of the Magami Clan, we all hold you very dear to our hearts. Tokio-chan, promise me you'll remember!" he demanded.  
  
"Tsuzuki-kun, Grandfather, I promise you to do my best against Muraki." Her voice was soft and happy. 'She's smiling', Saito thought. But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he felt against his skin drops that surely had the taste of salt.  
  
"Tokio-chan," Watari said, "don't cry because of these idiots. They are only trying to say they love you, in a rather clumsy way, but I must admit that everybody here thinks the same way."  
  
"Why, you... Watari!"  
  
"Hush, Tsuzuki!"  
  
"But, Sakuraï, hadn't you heard what he told us?"  
  
"Sakuraï's right, Brat, it's almost time to start the ritual. So, shut the hell up!"  
  
Saito clearly heard Tsuzuki strangle himself with his rage, and he felt Tokio's giggle at her grandfather's comment.  
  
So Ryu her grandfather. They sound like they will never see her again.  
  
Someone put a hand on Saito's shoulder, and since he wasn't expecting it, nor did he sense the Elder coming close enough to touch him, he felt surprise stab his heart and stiffened immediately, cursing for at the hundredth times Toya.  
  
"Relax," Kamuro's smooth voice whispered. "The ritual is about to start: you'll see things that you've never seen before, you'll also hear, smell, taste and feel things that are strange to your conscious and soul because they belong to Tokio. Don't fight them, don't be afraid. Focus on something you like, something you're used to, something that you don't need thinking about to do."  
  
*******  
  
Something flash through his mind, but he didn't pay attention to it, as he was mentally doing a kata. He knew what had just blurred onto his mind was one of Tokio's memories. Eyes closed, he almost felt the dojo of his early days around him when he was practicing on his own to be the best.  
  
One. Sword down.  
  
Two. Sword cutting down an opponent on his left.  
  
Three. Sword blocking an unreal attack.  
  
Four...  
  
******  
  
Sunlight hit him. He blinked, trying to get his eyes back into focus, and his senses came back to him like a punch in the stomach. He tried to sit up, but someone pushed him back on the futon where he had been sleeping.  
  
"Don't, or you'll be sick. This is because of the ritual. It drained a lot of spiritual strength from you and from her, but although she's used to it, you're not. That's why you're feeling so horrible right now," a woman explained.  
  
Saito nodded and, damn, yes, he felt like vomiting. He rolled onto his left side, grunting. His view came back to normal, and he felt a small hand touching his. He looked up and, as expected, there she was.  
  
She was sleeping on her stomach, her face turned in his direction on the futon next to his. Her hair was spread all around and on her. She was such a mess!  
  
Saito tried to free his left hand from her grip, but she refused to let go and groaned in her sleep, frowning at the same time, so Saito gave up the effort.  
  
The room they were in was full on light, and he heard the woman moving around them. As she opened the panel to leave the room, he heard Tokio moan again in her sleep. He watched the sunrise through the open door, but something caught his eye on Tokio's face so he turned his attention back to her.  
  
It was one of her tears running down her face that caught his attention. Again, she was crying in her sleep. With his free hand, and with a kindness unknown to him, he brushed her tear away.  
  
Maybe he did it because they were alone in a room full of light, holding hands. Maybe it was because he had spent half of the night holding her, not that she was heavy, she was rather skinny for a woman of her built, he thought.  
  
Saito sighed and turned his gaze back to the door, watching the sunrise. Why did he even agree on this foulness?  
  
Because of the dream.  
  
The answer was quite clear: it was because of the 'dream' she had shown him. He had hated the way he had felt, glad of that girl's death, glad of the agony that had followed, glad of feeling her soul leaving her body...  
  
To stop that sick bastard, according to his faith: Aku. Zoku. San.  
  
But now, in this room, it was for her. His gaze, by itself drifted back to her sleeping face. To protect her.  
  
Yes, it was now a personal matter and that was bad for his work.  
  
Rolling back onto his back, he shielded his eyes from the sun with his right arm, which he put on his closed eyes, and he realized that Muraki wasn't his worse enemy in this matter. No, she was.  
  
Smiling to himself, he thought that maybe, for once, someone might be stronger than he, the Miburo and it wasn't bothering him at all!  
  
If Okita ever heard about this, he'd laugh so much that his thick little head would roll by itself across the floor!  
  
Frowning, Saito turned his head in her direction again. She was beautiful, her face lit with the sunrise, her black hair absorbing light, her red lips....  
  
Sick bastard. I promise you, Muraki, I'll kill you.  
  
"If you keep staring at her this way, Saito-san, you'll burn a hole in her face."  
  
Saito jumped in surprise and sat up quickly without letting her hand go and faced, for the first time, the First Elder of the Magami Clan.  
  
Kamuro Magami seemed to be younger than Kondo-san and than Reiji Magami, Tokio's father, maybe in his early 30s... Saito watched as he stepped in the room and knelt next to Tokio. The Elder started to chuckle.  
  
Saito raised an eyebrow and kept looking at that weird guy when he remembered that Kamuro had the possibility to... damn !  
  
Kamuro stopped laughing and looked up at Saito, his eyes still laughing. "Yes, I can read people's mind; in fact I can hear their thoughts. I'm here to explain some of the particularities of your link."  
  
Saito, a bit annoyed, nodded.  
  
"Have you ever learned to talk, Saito-san?" Kamuro asked while settling himself on the floor "because, since last night, you haven't open your mouth once."  
  
"I know how to talk" Saito retorted, "but I have nothing to say since I'm here to learn, not to speak. And the faster I'll learn, the faster I'll catch Muraki."  
  
"So you don't want to lose any time?" Kamuro was indeed surprised. So this was the Miburo. Hidden in shadows, waiting for his day, gathering anything that could make him stronger toward achieving his goal. Smiling, Kamuro thought that the girl had chosen well.  
  
"Your link is for the moment, weak," Kamuro began "because you don't know each other very well, but it will grow stronger if you are always together, physically. The body cannot live without the spirit, nor can the spirit live without the body; the two of them are linked in a way that only a few can understand. So, she'll go with you to Kyoto, to hunt down Muraki. You'd better take a room for her near yours, pretend she's your wife, inazuke or whatever you want her to be, but for the first two days, you'll have to be always near one another. This is important. Tokio knows this and...'  
  
"-- Muraki too, then," Saito interjected.  
  
"Yes, be careful. She's the most vulnerable now because your link is not really strong, but it will grow stronger really quickly, and it's draining strength from both of you. If you don't mind or don't feel it, it's because you've been trained to fight for hours. Physical strength and spiritual strength are the same thing, but for her... Muraki's destroying little by little all her spiritual defences and so is tiring her. And moreover, there is, now, another soul in hers. Three. Kind of weird, huh?"  
  
Saito smiled a little at his last comment and asked, "How can a link be broken ?"  
  
"How a man like you, Saito-san, agreed to do this without asking the fundamental question is beyond me!" Kamuro sighed "There is no way safe except death. If you kill Muraki, then she'll be free from his grip."  
  
"The same for me, I guess."  
  
So only death.  
  
Kamuro watched Saito thoughtfully for a while before asking the ShisenGumi, "Do you know why we agreed to let Tokio do this, Saito-san ?"  
  
"I think I do."  
  
Kamuro, amazed, felt Saito's mind pushing him out of his thoughts, and he felt that the youngster had built some barriers, strong ones.  
  
Saitou asked, "Does she know, too, how a link can be broken ?"  
  
"You found a way to block me."  
  
"Yes, since you've said that the body and the spirit couldn't live without the other and that you instructed me to keep Tokio near me, close enough to imagine a physical link between us, I tried to find a way to shield my thoughts from you and the image of walls came to my mind. Since you keep on insisting on the link of the body and spirit, I thought that shielding my thoughts from you, with walls would be easy. But, you didn't answer my question, Magami-sama."  
  
Nodding to himself, Kamuro declared, while grinning, "So, you imagined walls around your thoughts. You got me here, Saito-san, Watari thought you wouldn't understand and so did I. I guess you have showed both of us wrong. It will teach us to take people for granted. And for your question: no, she doesn't. Atsuko let her believe it will be different with you."  
  
Saito remained silent for a while before breaking the silence, leaving the matter drop. "And I suppose this is how I have to proceed to keep Tokio out of my thoughts."  
  
Kamuro nodded, smiling, maybe they could still hope of freeing Tokio from Muraki...  
  
*****  
  
Both of them turned their attention to Tokio as she woke up, still holding hands with Saito. Not noticing the two men, she knelt in her bed, hair going in every direction, moaning, "My head hurts so much..."  
  
Kamuro put a hand on her shoulder, and she faced him. He smiled and raised a hand to her forehead.  
  
"Morning, Kam-sama and arigatou for easing my headache."  
  
"You could have done it yourself, Tokio-chan. Oh, by the way, did you notice that you're holding a man's hand as if your life depended on it?"  
  
Tokio's head snapped into Saito's direction, startled, and in a flash, she remembered what had happened the night before.  
  
"Oh! Gomen." And she let go of Saito's hand, hiding hers behind her back. Blushing. Hard.  
  
Saito found himself missing the feeling of her hand in his...how odd... Damn glad I found a way to throw him out of my head! Realizing that he was blushing a little, Saito tried to recompose himself.  
  
But, unfortunately for him, Kamuro needn't to hear his thoughts to understand what he was thinking of. It was as clear as the sky behind them (well for those who knew how to read someone's face)  
  
Well, she's young, Kamuro thought, she's only 17 after all, and she'll learn. And he's young too. Only 22, a mere baby, compared to us.  
  
Contented with himself, Kamuro smiled to Tokio and said, "Saito-san, I don't think Muraki will stop playing with Tokio, just because she's out of the Magami Domain, so when one of his attacks occurs, you'll have to help her. You'll understand tonight." Kamuro stopped Saito's attempt to ask him more about this, and Saito didn't push the matter further as he saw Tokio bend her head, whispering to herself, "Tonight..."  
  
"I believe that's all I needed to tell you, Saito-san," Kamuro concluded. He stood up and clapped in his hands twice, and immediately after, the sound of people running was heard. Toya's head and a head unknown to Saito appeared in the doorframe. Kamuro sighed heavily at the behaviour of the heir to the Magami Clan and left the room.  
  
****  
  
The unknown guy turned out to be Tsuzuki, one of the five elders. He was as old as Toya and looked a lot like him, but while Toya looked quite sure of himself, Tsuzuki or Tsu-chan, as Tokio called him, reminded Saito of a  
  
newborn puppy.  
  
Toya examined each inch of his baby sister to make sure that she didn't have a single scratch on her while Tsuzuki was babbling on how relieved he was since she seemed full of energy.  
  
Saito watched them. Two older brothers worried for the little sister, and he was about to put her in danger, to catch Muraki. Did he have the right to expose her to the danger ? That was his duty not hers. It would be better if she remained here, safe.  
  
That was stupid, he knew it, he wouldn't catch Muraki without Tokio's help, and she'll turn insane if she stayed here. No, she had to come with him. And it was his duty to make sure Muraki wouldn't put a single finger on her.  
  
Saito stood up, willing to leave them alone, when he felt someone's gaze on him. He turned his head back to the siblings and the Elder. It was Tsuzuki who was staring at him. The latter smiled and said, "You can't leave the room, remember? And don't blame yourself, better blame the sick bastard outside. In a way, you're now part of the Magami Clan."  
  
The siblings didn't seem to notice Tsuzuki and he. Toya was fussing over his little sister while she was trying to explain him that she felt perfectly well. Tsuzuki followed Saito's gaze and turned back to the ShisenGumi. "I kinda told them not to bother with us. They know we're here, but we're not important, just part of the room."  
  
"You knew what I was thinking."  
  
"Well, I'm just 19 so why do you think I'm one of the Elders?"  
  
"They only judge on talent."  
  
"Yup! Power is the determinant, and as much as it annoys Ryu, I'm supposed to be the next First Elder."  
  
"Why do you tell me this?"  
  
"We trust you, Saito-san. Here, nothing remains in the shadows."  
  
But I do. I live in the shadows while she stays in the light. Saito's eyes fell on her hair, her strange hair that absorbed light, that seemed to glow, that seemed to give her an aura... She stays in the light; I remain in the darkness....  
  
"Oy ! Didn't you hear us last night ? I mean Ryu, Watari and I? Tokio, since what happened 7 years ago, has been guarded by her father, brother, guardian and by us, the Elders as a bunch of tengu over a jewel! Do you get it ?"  
  
"You trust me to give her to me."  
  
"Yes, but be careful, Saito-san. We all know how dangerous this is, but some of us will make you pay if she dies and not you."  
  
Saito smiled. That was something he knew. "And so what ?"  
  
Tsuzuki was a bit taken aback but after a while, he smiled back and he nodded as Saito sat back on his futon.  
  
*SIGH* that's it ! I've finished the 5th part ! ! WOWOWOW ! That was  
  
tough! hehehe, see you in the next part ! 


	6. Let's the hunt begin....

"The Third Soul"  
  
Chapter 6: Let's the hunt begin...  
  
Standards Disclaimers apply.  
  
He was looking at her again, Tokio realized angrily.  
  
She and Saito were in Tokio's bedroom: she was gathering some stuff for the trip and since they've been linked for only a few hours, Kamuro-sama, the First Elder of the Magami Clan, commanded them to stay together to strengthen their link even more.  
  
Saito-san.  
  
Tokio would have never believed that he could accept her help and all what it meant so...easily, after all it took him about 3 minutes to decide himself.  
  
She was folding one of her favorite kimono when she felt his gaze on her, a bit... well harder. That was quite unnerving, Tokio knew they had to stay physically together for the first two days but... he was making it almost like a nightmare: his constant gaze on her that she could feel even without looking made her awkward while packaging her stuff she might need during her stay in the city...  
  
Kyoto... Last time she went there, she was almost 7, with her brother and Tsuzuki, her brother best friend, they had stolen some money from Toya's and Tokio's grand-father, Ryu, so that they could buy some sweets...  
  
Her thoughts drifted to this blessed times, her childhood, when her mother was still alive, when her father would laugh at his children's attics to skip lessons, when she would get anything she wanted from her grand-father by a simple pout of her rosy lips...Before him.  
  
Why did he accept that easily, do i look so desperate to his eyes?  
  
The idea came to her suddenly, she frowned and tried to find out: because his chief asked him to? No, Kondo-san would have left Saito-san to decide after all it was his life he was putting in danger... Because... but Tokio couldn't find any valuable reasons to her eyes.  
  
Tokio sighed heavily and went back packaging, but the thought was still nagging her.  
  
"What do you want to know?" his deep voice caught her by surprise and she dropped the cloth she was folding and turned around.  
  
"What make you think i want to ask you something?"  
  
"You've been torturing this kimono for half a hour." He stated.  
  
"Oh!" Tokio put the cloth aside and folded her hands on her lap, avoiding looking at him straight in his eyes. Gathering her courage, she then asked:  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why did i agree on this craziness?"  
  
Tokio focused her gaze on her lap, mastered the anger that had risen when he called the problem of her life, well her life a `craziness' and managed to nod.  
  
"Well, he went on, three women have been murdered in my streets. I, as a ShisenGumi, have the duty to stop the killer, whatever it may cost me because it's my own way to follow my justice." His voice was almost relaxed, he was just pointing out facts that were as clear as the day for him, explaining matter of life to a child.  
  
"Faith..." she whispered as she looked up: Saito was sitting in the doorway, his katana was laying at his left, ready to be taken any moment, his back was resting against the door frame and his golden eyes had almost disappeared under his half-closed lids. A wolf, resting on a rock in the sun. The picture flashed in her mind, and she found it so true that she could only stare at Saito. Sure of himself, a belief for which he was fighting, a faith strong enough that he could give his life for it.  
  
"How can someone give one's life to a belief? I don't understand how someone can serve a goal by dying."  
  
"Do you believe in something?" he asked, after a short moment of silence, he went on "I do, that's why you don't understand me, but i don't understand you either. Why had you chosen me? What in me make me worth of your trust that you placed your life in my hands?"  
  
The wind rose in the garden behind Saito, it was a warm and calm summer wind; it entered the room and turned around the girl and only her. Her hair rose lightly as eyes closed she bent her head to the left as if she was listening to the wind. Amazed, Saito watched her and when she opened her eyes, he drowned himself again in the night gaze.  
  
"The wind told me you were the one i needed. I read the future in the wind," she explained "destiny is like red strings attached to your fingers, some bigger that others, some stronger than others but they all represent all the capable futures that can happen but some are destroyed or replaced by the choices that we make. I've seen my death between the hands of my mother's and these girls' killer in a lot of directions, but i've also seen a way to escape this deadly trap...with you. It doesn't mean that we'll win, just that i may live one more day than in a destiny told by another red string attached to my fingers."  
  
"You can see the future?"  
  
"Yeah, but it's not a very reliable power you know, i can't control it and there are so many possibilities that we aren't able to read them all so we have to choose and sometimes, what really happen in real life was told in a string that we decided not to read."  
  
"So, you place your life into the hands of a complete stranger because the wind told you so?" the disbelief in his voice didn't hit, she was used to this reaction with people who didn't know anything about power.  
  
"The wind only showed me the different futures that..."  
  
"You're mental."  
  
"OH! How dare you!" Outraged, Tokio jumped on her feet and glared at Saito. She was about to complete her thought about him, the world and the men in general when he cut her:  
  
"Listen, you barely know me for a couple of hours and because the wind told you to trust me, you did! Do you know who am I? I'm a ShisenGumi Captain, one among the most feared men in Kyoto, what make you think i'm not your Muraki? Kami-sama, how can someone be so irresponsible?"  
  
Saito asked himself if somebody faced could become redder than Tokio's in a so short time as she yelled to him:  
  
"But i know you! I know how your mother died, i know how you mastered the sword, i know how many times you spent in the dojo practicing on your own and i know how your father..."  
  
Saito had risen to his feet and clapped a hand on her mouth, hard.  
  
"Don't you dare to say this aloud." He threatened her, his voice low and harsh, his face was only inches from hers and his amber eyes were glowering with an untold fury.  
  
They stood face-to-face, inches from the other one for what seemed to Tokio hours but barely a minute passed when he let go. He breathed in sharply but didn't move, he kept on staring at her with those burning eyes.  
  
Tokio took a step backward: his hand had come so quickly that she hadn't enough time to react and at this particular moment, she felt really vulnerable. As a butterfly touch, Saito's feelings flashed in her mind...feel like drowning in her eyes...i'm such a coward and a bastard...  
  
Confused, she blinked several times before understanding finally hit home: he has been so angry at what she had said and at his own reaction to her words that he lost control of his mind protection. He was so close.  
  
Get a hold on yourself! Saito yelled to himself but his mind had gone completely blank when she had started to talk about his mother...and his father... And now, he must have frightened her to death! Her skin around her mouth, where he had slapped her, was a little red and Saito wanted to kick himself, he must have hurt her too. And then, she took a step backward, Saito swallowed hard and a foolish little voice panicked and said in his mind that he was about to lose her... as if she had ever belonged to him...she, who have been loved so much that a man devoted his life to her protection, that her mother gave up her life to save her, that... And again, he lost himself again in her eyes... How on earth had he been able to do this to her? Slap her? Hit a woman? She was so close...  
  
Saito took a step in her direction, coming closer. Now, Tokio had to look up to look in his eyes. He slowly bent his head in her direction and Tokio's breathing quickened as she was sure he could hear her heart beating so loudly in her chest. She put her hands on his forearms while he put his hands around her tiny waist.  
  
As his mouth drew closer to hers and Tokio detached herself from her body: it was an old technique taught to the children so that they could easily analyze their own feelings and Tokio found herself willing to be kissed by that unnerving man, she was eagerly waiting for the feeling of his lips on hers and quickly, she reintegrated her own body.  
  
Closing her eyes, she rose on her toes, offering him her lips, quietly asking him to kiss her and... the door opened revealing her Guardian, Tatsumi.  
  
"Tokio-sama..." Tatsumi froze on his tracks as the sight before his eyes finally made sense: the Miburo, that impure, cold-hearted, bastard killer of the ShisenGumi was about to kiss her!  
  
:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:  
  
The sacred forest around the Domain was freed of all the birds that may have rested in the silence of the forest because of a loud and piercing scream of an outraged male.  
  
Kamuro sighed and shook his head.  
  
The first Elder was standing near the waterfall, it was an enchanting sight: a small waterfall that fell into a little pool, a sacred place surrounded and protected by a dense forest, it was the only place where the sun could clearly be seen in the whole forest. If somebody was there he would have seen the first Elder bent to his knees, looking deeply in the water, put his hands on his face and whispered through his hands:  
  
"I'm so sorry, i'm so sorry... dear child, would you, please, forgive me someday?"  
  
*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*  
  
Saito and Tokio were sitting quietly near one another in the main room of the Magami main House because first it was the biggest room and second because loads of people were screaming so Kamuro-sama decided to settle this in this room, the most protected one by spells in case someone lost control on himself and attacked someone else with the power, he declared eyeing Tatsumi.  
  
Tokio was nervously looking down, playing with her kimono: Tatsumi had sworn not to tell her brother, father or to Tsuzuki-kun what he saw in her room but still, her guardian's face was still really red from anger.  
  
She looked up at the scene in front of her eyes: Toya wanted to walk her to the city but most of the Elders (Sakuraï, Atsuko, Watari and Ryu) and her father refused to let him go. And as expected when Toya didn't get what he wanted, he got nuts and started yelling around, Tsuzuki-kun was trying to calm him down, but Toya refused to. He kept on arguing that since he was the Magami Heir and as the older brother, he had to make sure that his little sister was well treated.  
  
But, her father, that Toya's outburst really annoyed, pointed out it was useless since none of the Magami spell will be placed on Tokio's room because it would attract more people, after all the Magami family was a mightier one, and had a lot of enemies, not only Muraki.  
  
Sighing, Tokio let her gaze wandered in the room: she focused on every faces in the room, willing to remember any features of their faces, to remember when it will hurt in her skin and soul... Maybe, i'll never come back again...  
  
A hand covered hers that was still playing with the cloth:  
  
"You'll rip it." His quiet voice was calm and deep, he must have sensed... He turned his eyes in her direction and asked, unconsciously massaging her hand with his calloused one:  
  
"What can you tell me about Muraki's gift?"  
  
Tokio swallowed hard and focused on the warmth of his hand playing with hers. His strong hand, rough because of the sword. She took a deep breath but her voice was slightly shaking when she began.  
  
"He's a master of illusion, he can take anybody's look and make you see or feel whatever he wants to. The only way to avoid his trap is a strong will. That's you've got by the way, if you wish to see through the illusion then, you'll see reality. Muraki's power in one amongst the most powerful one but also dangerous one."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, what if it's his own mind that is trapped in the illusion? What if he loses sight of where ends the truth and where begins the illusion?"  
  
Silence followed her last statement as Saito, still playing with her hand and smothering her at the same time, thought about these new information about their prey. He let his gaze wandered on the room and it fell on Tokio's Guardian and his angry face as he obviously boiled with anger at the sight of these two, holding hands.  
  
"Who is he?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
Saito jerked his chin in Tatsumi's direction, Tokio's eyes followed and fell on her Guardian. As usual, Tatsumi was dressed in black, as far as she could remember, Tokio had always seen him in black. He was standing near her father, glaring at Saito, or rather at Saito's hand covering her smaller one and a blush made its way up to her cheeks and turned her head away but doing so, her gaze fell on Kamuro-sama who was staring at them, but he was smiling. He nodded in their direction and Saito let her hand go: he, too, had seen Kamuro's smile. Saito quickly checked around but none other paid attention to him or her, busy at trying to put some sense in Toya's thick head. The First Elder took his attention back to the fight going on as Tokio said in a low voice so that only Saito could hear her all she knew about her Guardian:  
  
"He showed up after my mother's death. I was still very weak and i could die any moment, my brother told me that Tatsumi appeared one day at the front gate, saying that his duty was about to begin. He went straight to my father's office and they talked for hours, finally, my father along with Tatsumi-san came to my room and he declared in front of the whole Magami Clan, which had been gathered on his demand, that Tatsumi-san was now the Magami Children Guardian. That's his real role, in fact."  
  
"Protecting both of you?"  
  
"Yes, but since Toya is really one the strongest people around, he made a pact with Tatsumi-san when he was 11. He promised to Tatsumi-san that he'd be the strongest of our whole family in every possible ways so that all that Tatsumi-san had to do was to watch over me. But, if my brother is really skilled at mastering the power and the way of the sword, he's still really bad at expressing his feeling in another way that yelling." She added with a loving smile, looking at her brother's red face.  
  
"Unlike you..." Saito whispered.  
  
"Huh? What did you say, i'm sorry, Saito-san, i didn't catch it..."  
  
"Never mind. But, i think that we'd better work on some little details."  
  
"Which are?"  
  
"I've sent a letter back to my headquarters, in Kyoto, telling my superior what happened here. I also asked him to prepare the men to your arrival. I told him to make them believe you were my wife, so when you'll move into my room, you won't get too much remarks. Only the Captains of the First and Second Squad of the ShisenGumi know who you truly are, and why you're staying there. So, it would be more natural if you called me by my first name, Tokio."  
  
Tokio gulped at the sound of her name in his mouth. Pretend to be his wife...Then it hit her:  
  
"In your room?" she hissed.  
  
"Don't worry, i'll would hardly be there, i'm supposed to protect Kyoto so i'll be in the streets most of the time, but if not me, one of the other 2 Captains would always remain at your side. But you'll have to act as if you really were my wife so you'll have to work at the restaurant."  
  
"Honto?" Tokio's eyes were glowering with delight. First, it's been ages since she last put a foot outside and now she was allowed to act as a normal person!  
  
"It doesn't bother you?" Saito asked, the girl seemed so happy. Was it what he had just said that made her so happy?  
  
"Not at all! I'm be glad to!" She smiled brightly to him and turned back to the forgotten argument.  
  
"Now, it's enough." She said, loud enough to cover her brother new speech. "I will chose who will walk me to the city, i think it's the easiest way, don't you think, Kamuro-sama?"  
  
Tokio smiled sweetly to the others who had turned their heads in her direction.  
  
Clever little witch. Saito thought. Now, if one of them denied her this, he will go against the first Elder wish along with hers. The smirk grew wider on his lips.  
  
Kamuro smiled too, nodded as the others faces fell.  
  
"Well, she kept on, my brother and my guardian will walk me to the ShinsenGumi's inn, then they will go back to the Magami Domain immediately after."  
  
"Heck, Tokio-chan!" started the angry voices. But another one, one full of power made them all stop.  
  
"My daughter, for once, is right." Reiji Magami watched his last child as if she was stabbing him in the heart. The man's voice was dry and bitter: he was feeling betrayed, again. "You shall obey your sister's wish, Toya, because it's her life that's in cause not the Clan's. This my daughter, is my last gift to you. I wish you good luck and you, Saito-san, good hunt."  
  
In, the silence that followed, all watched the Head Clan rose to his feet and turned to leave the room, he opened the panel and paused, he turned his head back as if willing to add something, shook his head and walked out of the room, his shoulders dropped under the weight of his inner troubles and pain. Saito took a glance at Tokio, she was obviously hurt.  
  
"He still doesn't like the idea, Tokio-chan, you look so much like your mother that it almost pains him physically to think you'll be in such danger because it makes him feel as if your mother was about to die, again." Watari smooth voice soothed Tokio's feelings, the girl brightened a little and nodded, but Saito could tell that she was still pained.  
  
"For him, it's like his second woman is leaving him forever, understand him, Tokio-chan, he already lost your mother in an abrupt way, what if he loses you?" Sakuraï pointed out and Tokio nodded silently, showing that she understood her father's feelings.  
  
"Toya-kun, why don't you and Tatsumi get yourselves ready for the walk to the city?" Kamuro said.  
  
Toya looked up at him, as the Guardian and Saito. So, the latter thought, he wants a word with me. The Elders also left the room with the Magami Heir and the Guardian. Saito quickly turned to Tokio as he felt... nothing from her.  
  
"I kind of froze her for a while, she knows i wish to talk to you in private, so she agreed."  
  
"What was so important and sudden that you had to do this?"  
  
"Hm, i guess it wasn't really subtle..."  
  
"Not exactly." Saito softly added.  
  
"Never mind. Saito-san, i wish to warn you about the link. It's something that Tsuzuki and i have just figured out when we've realized that you... well, Saito-san do you understand that in a soul lies one's mind, identity and of course, feelings? If you, and that's the major risk of a link, get yourself too open to each other, you will lose yourself, I mean both of you or maybe only one, but you won't be able to say when the first ends and where the seconds begins. Do you understand? It's quite hard to explain."  
  
"But i got it."  
  
I've already figured that out. The feelings that were buried inside of me are coming back, punching me... because of her, because she's never been raised to hide her feelings, she's open. I feel it. So unlike me. Damnit! That's her influence on my soul that brings back all those painful memories... Before, if anybody talked about my father i wouldn't care a damn, but now...  
  
"Saito-san" Kamuro's voice interrupted his train of thoughts "you are now part of our Clan, so, if you feel that my help is required, just send a word, and i'll help. As much as i'll be able to, of course."  
  
Saito studied the man in front of him. And bowed to him, to thank him. The Miburo then rose to his feet, put a hand on Tokio's shoulder, waking her up, held out a hand to help her to stand up and together, they left the room under Kamuro's sad look.  
  
:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:  
  
Saito, Tokio, Toya and Tatsumi were standing in front of the main gate, Saito passed it without noticing it while Tokio stopped and stared at it since for her it meant the end of the Elders' protection. Behind her, she felt her brother and guardian stop to allow her to compose herself, to get herself ready to battle.  
  
Saito turned around and watched her, she looked at him and they stared at each other knowing how this first step was difficult for her and that there were no turning back after. The wind turned around her and, as a lover would, it caressed her face making her looked up at the bright blue sky above them. She felt like floating, leaving her body behind along with all her woes and foes. The moment seemed to last forever and she smiled, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face.  
  
As fast as it came, the wind disappeared and she looked down, back on the earth, where the reality kicked in and the smile erased from itself. The wolf was still there, he was still there waiting for her to move, to take that first step, to allow him to begin his hunt. Gritting her teeth, she stepped outside the Magami Domain without any doubt resting in her heart.  
  
Far, far away, somewhere deep within her, she felt a part of her soul sing with joy and glee as it screamed: `Come on, Tokio-chan, time to play!'  
  
End of part 6  
  
Gosh, that was hard, buddy! Now, see you in next part, hope you still like it and that it's not too long and too slow.  
  
mikim 


	7. A new life.

"The Third Soul"  
  
Chapter 7: A new life.  
  
Standard Disclaimers Apply: I'm just borrowing Watsuki-sama's characters.  
  
Maybe it was because of Tokio's delighted look. Or because of her smiling face. It could also be because of her happy squeals and the way she was pulling her brother's sleeve anytime she saw something "cute" and would say so as she, Toya, Tatsumi and Saito walked through the streets, rendering most of the people to turn around to look at them.  
  
"Imouto-chan! My goodness, could you please behave for a while!" Toya was angry, damn angry but he had to master his anger not to frighten his little sister.  
  
Tokio smiled at him, nodded happily and stopped squealing for a while.  
  
Damn, if that man doesn't stop staring at her right now, there will be a massacre! Toya thought, eyeing a man on their left.  
  
They were walking in a busy street of Kyoto with Saito ahead, opening a way for them through the crowd, or rather for Tokio who was walking right behind him. Next to her was her brother while the Guardian was right behind them.  
  
If Toya was angry, Tatsumi was about to explode.  
  
How dare they, he thought, to look at her this way! It's already bad with the damn Miburo! But, with all these young men drooling at her! It's even worse, how can this be?  
  
But what was angering both men even more were the whispering words of people. They knew people were whispering about Tokio, who noticed nothing of what was going on around her, too absorbed in the admiration of the city.  
  
As far as Saito was concerned, the whispering were good for him because it showed that people have heard about him and his pretended wife, but still, he put a hand on his katana, making the young men refrain from attracting Tokio's attention to them by fear of the Miburo. The message was clear to them: look as much as you want to, whisper as much as you want to but don't touch, not even with a finger. It was simple, yet very efficient and that more than satisfied Saito.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
When they finally arrived at the ShinsenGumi's Inn, it was almost noon and of course, the restaurant was almost full.  
  
Damn. Saito hadn't thought about that: he had wanted to make a discreet entrance in the inn and go straight to Tokio's room, unnoticed. But, of course, he knew who was there waiting for him. Damn Okita and his dumb jokes.  
  
Thinking about the devil, Okita arrived at the restaurant at that very moment, along with Harada, the Captain of the Second Squad of the ShisenGumi. As usual, the younger boy was smiling happily and chatting noisily while Harada was listening, a grass blade in his mouth. Okita noticed the group as Tokio smiled to them and waved a little. Tatsumi and Toya stepped closer to Tokio in a protective way while Saito sighed and asked himself if the Heavens were playing some kind of silly trick on him.  
  
"Ohayo, Magami-san, Saito-san!" said Okita.  
  
"Ohayo, Okita-san, glad to see you again!" greeted Tokio while Saito glared at Okita.  
  
"I presume that this beautiful young woman is the one we're supposed to watch over?" Harada smirked. He was a fine-looking man, he knew it, and a strong one. Most of the females around fancied him and he liked it. But she was different. Harada instantly felt it: there was something young and old in that girl, something wise and exuberant, but in the meantime, something that belonged to the... Wolf. Harada could almost feel Saito in her, maybe it was because of the link Okita kept talking about. He smiled and bowed to the young lady when Okita introduced them, he then turned to the young man next to Tokio who was obviously her brother: their features were so alike that Harada thought that they might be twins. But Okita said he was older... bah, never mind.  
  
"He's safe." The man in black suddenly said. Saito snorted, took Tokio's arm and stepped inside, not even waiting for the others to follow, dragging the girl behind. The brother growled in anger "Saaitooo!" and went in after them, quickly followed by Tatsumi.  
  
The two remaining ShisenGumi stared at the open door and while one of them laughed, the other one asked himself what the earlier remark meant. What was the man in black meaning when he declared that he was safe?  
  
**~**~**~** ~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**  
  
When Saito stepped inside the restaurant, holding Tokio's arm, he immediately realized his own error as silence fell onto the room. Most of the ShisenGumi was there, staring at the couple. Saito grunted and put Tokio behind him to protect her from the stares. An unreal silence fell on the restaurant because every neck was turned in their direction, staring at them, or rather staring at her. They all wanted to see who was the girl crazy enough to marry one of the most feared men in Kyoto and there she was. Standing behind him, with a puzzled look and a delicate blush, she made a pretty sight.  
  
A growl was heard behind them and Saito sighed heavily knowing perfectly who it was. Definitely, the Heavens were playing a silly joke on him. Saito made his way through the restaurant and Tokio had no option but to follow him since she didn't want to stay in the entrance of the inn. Every one was following them with curious eyes; the men started to whisper their impressions about the girl to one another and shortly after the chatter began again. Kondo, the ShisenGumi Head came from one of the private closed corners of the restaurant, reserved to the captains. He gestured them to come closer as Toya arrived at Saito's level, obviously ready to lecture him for good but the Miburo wandered his gaze significantly around and Toya thought that maybe, it was a bad idea to insult a captain in front of his men...  
  
Saito smirked and rolled his eyes while Tokio, still blushing, held up her head and smiled apologetically to her brother.  
  
Toya stopped, frozen: she had understood, Saito was in front of her and she had her head bent , unable to see Saito's mockery on him but she...  
  
Toya let Saito and Tokio passed before him and headed to Kondo's corner only when Tatsumi reached him. The older man sent him a questioning look but Toya refused to let him realize what had just hit him: the link was becoming stronger and stronger... but it also meant that she was leaving them both behind, she was now moving along him, she was leaving them. And this mere thought sent cold shivers running down his spine: the wheel was now beginning to spin faster and faster and no one had enough power to prevent what will surely come.  
  
When they all got to Kondo's corner, with Okita and Harada joining them as well, the ShisenGumi Head told them to sit down and eat with him. Tokio was sitting between Saito and Tatsumi, her brother at Tatsumi's left, she looked at him curiously since he had always been sitting next to her before but he gritted his teeth and stubbornly refused to answer her. Her first meal in her new home wasn't exactly joyful: Kondo was deeply engrossed in a conversation with Saito who kept on glaring at Harada. But the latter who was making some sly jokes didn't notice Saito's glare or rather chose to ignore it to annoy him further while Okita was laughing at Harada's jokes, Tatsumi was eating and her brother was avoiding eye-contact with Tokio, playing rather than eating his food.  
  
Tokio absorbed herself in her food, head bent. Something was wrong with her brother, something she might be responsible for. What had she done to disappoint him that much?  
  
Suddenly, Toya slammed down his chopsticks, nearly breaking them and startling everyone in the process. He clenched his fists on his lap and in the silence that had followed his actions: he turned to Saito who for once wore a complete poker face and with the formal voice that he used only for ceremonies, Toya declared:  
  
"This woman, Toya began pointing at his sister, is put under your protection. I, heir of the Magami family, place this precious burden on your shoulders because, we, the Magami Clan are no longer able to assume our role in this particular matter but we will pray to our glorious ancestors and the Great Spirits to watch over you and keep evil from you."  
  
He then bowed, his forehead touching the floor, stood up abruptly and turned around to leave.  
  
But Tokio jumped on her feet:  
  
"You can't leave me this way," she pleaded, "Niisan!"  
  
Toya clearly stiffened at her voice but he refused to turn around and started walking away.  
  
"Toya-sama, this may be the last time you'll see her alive." Tatsumi's voice was cold, clinical but it stabbed Toya's heart right at the middle. The older man rose to his feet and turned to his young master. "Toya-sama," he said again, "the wheel of fate has begun to turn faster and faster since the Miburo stepped in the Magami Estate, you can't change what had happened in the past, but with faith and courage one can change its own fate."  
  
The young man stood frozen, a hand on the panel that separated him from the crowded room of the restaurant. An inner battle started but nor reason or his love for his sister won, since she put her arms around him and whispered:  
  
"Toya-nii, I love you too. And I'm scared too."  
  
Toya sighed heavily and turned around slowly, sadness overwhelming him.  
  
"Tokio-chan, if you let Fright govern your heart, you'll fall into the endless night of madness, you know this. So you have to be strong, strong enough to let hope and your inner strength enlighten your future." He cupped her face in his hands and locked his eyes with hers. "I love you, you are my only sister, we are closer than twins could be, I know you have enough power to face the troubled times that will surely come. With the help of the Miburo." He kissed her on her forehead and removed her hands around his waist, he then stepped backwards, facing her still holding her hands in his. "We'd better leave, now. Miburo, we give our most precious jewel for you to protect." He said, not breaking eye contact with her.  
  
Toya waited until Tatsumi walked to his side to let go of Tokio's hands, both men then bowed deeply and Toya took a long last glance at his sister who was on the verge of tears. He sent her a mischievous smile and said:  
  
"Remember, closer than twins could be."  
  
Tokio put a hand on her mouth, surprised, but she giggled a little as Tatsumi sighed. The older man then did something quite unexpected from him: he kissed her on the forehead whispering good luck in her ear. Tokio remained in the doorframe until her guardian and brother disappeared from her sight. she then turned to face the 4 men sitting behind her, staring at her, along with the new life that was about to begin for her.  
  
**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**  
  
Saito, holding Tokio's belongings, led her to his room, which was now hers as well. Since the departure of the Magami men, Saito had always remained at her side, he hadn't actually tried to comfort her but he had made sure she knew he was there by always remaining in sight, at her right, by protecting her with his frame from the curious looks of the ShisenGumi men when they walked through the restaurant main room, by sending her his calm, smothering her nerves.  
  
Saito led her to a bedroom located at the first floor of the inn, composed of only one bare room: only a katana which rested against a wall, on their left, and a cupboard under the window. But Tokio noticed nothing of this since what caught her breath was the sight of the open window: she could see almost the whole Kyoto from there. As she neared the window, Saito leaned against the door, he observed the girl closely: if what she had told him was right, he thought, the killer must have sensed her, by now.  
  
His train of thoughts carefully hidden from her, he moved closer to her, right behind her in fact. He put his left hand on the window panel so she was almost in the circle of his arms.  
  
"Tokio" he whispered.  
  
Startled Tokio turned around and stiffened seeing Saito so close to her: the memory of another awkward situation like this popped in her mind too fast and too abruptly for her to have enough time to block her thoughts so Saito too remembered it. A blush made its way up to her cheeks and she turned her head not to face him.  
  
"Yes, Saito-san?" she began "I mean Ha...Hajime." She added quickly. She still felt a bit strange about saying his name: it was a so private thing to her. Well, she thought, maybe it's different in the city...  
  
"No, it isn't." Saito answered "but we're supposed to be married so it'll sound odd if we call each other by our last names."  
  
"Yeah, right." She stepped aside, head still bent to avoid his golden gaze. What in the name of the 7 hells are you doing, idiot! Now you're all shy in front of him, that's stupid! For goodness sake, girl, pull yourself together! What happened in your bedroom was... Oh, dear spirits, help me...she admonished herself, making a fool of herself at the same time since she didn't think of protecting her thoughts, too moved of being alone with him, again, in a room.  
  
Saito caught her by a wrist, and gently, slowly so that she could push him away if she wanted to, pulled her into his embrace. He caressed her hair, murmuring to her:  
  
"Relax, I know this all new to you, but you'll get quickly use to it."  
  
Her throat had dried when he took her wrist and now here she was: back in his arms and all she could think about was how good it felt. Saito was explaining to her how he and the other two captains would protect her but her mind had gone completely blank, she rested her head against his strong chest and sighed; Saito smirked and surrendered: he stopped talking and gazed down at her. She had her eyes closed and a small smile rested on her lips, her hair still held up in a tight ponytail that suddenly seemed to him out of place so he pulled on the red string freeing her hair which fell by wages around her.  
  
Tokio felt something pulling on her string and suddenly her hair fell around her: she looked up at him surprised, but her `husband' was playing with her hair: he took a handful of the black, strange light absorber hair of hers in his hand and let it fall back in place slowly. He soon became aware of her watching him, astonished and stopped playing. He bent his head to hers and this time there were no guardians to stop the Miburo to kiss those red lips. His lips drew nearer to hers when... pain shot in her head.  
  
Totally unexpected, this attack of rare violence on her mind made her mind protection crumbled down. She let a small cry of pain escaped her lips as she hugged her head with both hands, eyes tightly shut. Tears of pain rolled on her cheeks, she would have fell on the floor, if not for Saito's arms around her. She tried to push him away but he crushed her on his chest, holding her close, unsure of what to do. He called out her name several times, asking her something she just couldn't understand when it happened.  
  
He was drawing closer to her and those red lips when she tried to push him away but Saito didn't release her from his grip, pain clearly evident written all over her face. In pain she moaned as she took her head between her hands, tears already making their way down her face. What the hell? He held her closer to him and tried to make eye contact with her but her eyes were shut. Damnit! This must be Muraki!  
  
"TOKIO!" Saito called. He didn't know what to do, all he knew was that she was in pain but he couldn't do anything about it: slowly, as if leaving his body behind, Saito felt himself losing grip on reality. As if he was in the dream state where Tokio had led him before, Saito watched her doubling up with pain but for an odd reason he couldn't feel her pain as he was supposed too. Something was holding him back. But he wanted to help her. More than anything. Huge white wings caught his attention. Saito turned his head to his right and the sight of a great white bird with eyes as black as the night, perched on a great Sakura tree, greeted him. Tokio.  
  
"Tokio," he whispered, "let me help you. Don't be afraid, I won't leave you." The great bird shook its majestic head and spread its wings, the wind howled towards Saito and he clearly heard a small voice, as a child's voice, ask:  
  
"Promise? Because I've asked Mama before, but she still left me. Look."  
  
The bird turned its head on its left and a tall woman, with black hair walked closer to them, smiling. The woman's face was familiar to Saito and so now, he could understand Reiji Magami' s pain of seeing his daughter, the almost replica of her mother walk away from him after the loss of his wife.  
  
"Mama, the voice said again, why did you leave?" The woman smiled to the bird and turned to Saito. Her mouth moved but no sound escaped from the perfect lips. The woman's eyes saddened and she spoke again, this time gesturing behind him. But still no sounds.  
  
Saito quickly threw a glance behind, he could see Tokio, holding her head in pain and understood, he took his attention back to the woman and told her, not knowing if she would actually hear something.  
  
"You have my promise, I will save her."  
  
The woman's face lit up with a smile and she vanished when the wind blew Sakura petals around them. The bird took its flight and aimed at Saito's chest. In awe, he watched the great bird vanish inside of him.  
  
What was pulling him back disappeared and he too, felt the pain. Still, in the dream state, he came behind her and enclosed her in the circle of his arms, giving her his strength and protection. The wind became wilder, cuts appeared by themselves on his neck, face and shoulders as if thousands of deadly birds were attacking him in the meantime. But he didn't let go.  
  
"I have promised, Tokio, remember, take us out of here..." he whispered in her ear. The girl was still holding her head, but slowly, as his voice soothed her, she held up her head to look in his eyes.  
  
"Promise, Hajime?"  
  
"I promise to never leave you." He declared, gruffly. "Now remember it, because I won't say it another time, take us out of here."  
  
She threw her arms around his neck and surprised by the added weight and by her movement, Saito lost foot and fell.  
  
And reality kicked in as he and the precious burden in his arms fell on the tatami floor, Saito had fallen in a sitting position, Tokio still in his arms was pressed against his chest, laid between his arms. Tokio was unconscious and oddly enough he didn't have a single scratch on him. He looked around him, and noticed for the first time all the people around them: Okita, looking concerned, while Harada was looking around them, a hand on his katana. He must felt the presence of an enemy, Saito thought, amused.  
  
Then she opened her eyes, she sat up in a kneeling position in front of Saito and when she met his eyes, he watched amazed her night-colored eyes widen and take an even deeper shade of black, if it was possible. She held up trembling fingers, whispering incoherent excuses to Saito and rested her hands on his face. And blood splashed through her fingers, on her delicate face as his cuts made by the invisible weapon appeared on his skin.  
  
........................................................................................................................  
  
........................................................................................................................  
  
Voices.  
  
People were talking near him but he couldn't understand. He was in a complete fog. He wanted to understand what the voices were saying, the damn thing was tempting him to come and catch its meaning but Saito could almost feel it pass through his fingers. He tried to fight it but someone held him down. She. Soft skin against his, warm hands over his face and teasing hair caressing his arms, daring him to chase it away.  
  
White feathers caressed his face again and...  
  
Tokio looked down at the man in her arms. Saito had collapsed in her arms but he was clutched at her and refused to let go. Okita had helped her to bandaged him: they had to cut his gi to reach every wounds. Harada said they were clean and not deep, so nothing that Saito couldn't handle without passing out. The young man was looking accusingly at Tokio and the latter. Unable to meet his gaze, Tokio dropped hers to the Miburo and held him tighter against her. A single tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
Saito moaned and shook his head.  
  
"Saito-san?" Okita asked.  
  
But Saito didn't hear him. He could only look at her: his angry golden eyes followed the path the tear had made, down her face.  
  
"Stop crying," he grunted, "I'm back."  
  
Tokio swallowed hard and leaned her head on his chest. He stroke her hair while telling the others:  
  
"Muraki has just sent us his welcome gift." He gritted his teeth and squeezed her lightly, asking her: "Where?"  
  
Tokio's head shot up, her eyes huge.  
  
"How did you..." she stopped, knowing the answer too well, her walls around her thoughts she believed to be secret had crumbled down again, as she answered leaning in his embrace again. "Near the temple."  
  
Saito nodded and turned to the 2 captains:  
  
"At sunset, Muraki will try to kill someone else and he dared me to stop him by giving Tokio the location of his next murder. So, we..."  
  
"I'm coming." Tokio cut him.  
  
"No." Saito answered bluntly.  
  
"Yes, I am!" she yelled back, pushing him away, "you know nothing about power. He does and so do I! You promised you'd let me help!"  
  
You promised not to leave me...  
  
Saito clenched his fists and his eyes burnt with an angry fire but she remained still, she even refused to listen to Okita's or Harada's attempts to talk her out of it. She would keep on staring at him, and Saito glaring back as well. Finally, upset, he stood up.  
  
"Do as you wish." He said dryly, stepping out of the room after grabbing another gi.  
  
*..*~*..*~*..*~*..*~*..*~*..*~*..*~*..*~*..*~*..*~*..*~*..*  
  
HEY! Chapter 7's finally out........................  
  
Thanks a lot to those who reviewed at FF, thanks a lot, u don't know what it means to me.  
  
Well, hope you're not tired of my story, hope it's not too weird or slow and that you aren't too confuse... 


	8. Confrontations

"The Third Soul"  
  
Chapter 8: Confrontations.  
  
Standards Disclaimers Apply.  
  
The song has been taken from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
Tokio has only arrived at the ShisenGumi' s inn for a couple of hours, than she had already been under attack. He had promised!  
  
Saito angrily sheathed his katana back in its saya. He had tried for an hour to do a kata to ease his nerves, but all he could think about was the fact that she had already been put in danger. Still angered, Saito left the dojo, behind the inn and headed to the bathhouse, next to it. He kept on clenching his fists and opening them, only there for, what? 2 hours and...  
  
Saito stopped frozen in the bathhouse doorframe: he had lost control.  
  
"Do you understand that in a soul lies one's mind, identity and, of course, feelings? If you, and that's the major risk of a link, get yourself too open to each other, you will lose yourself, I mean both of you or maybe only one, but you won't be able to say when the first ends and where the seconds begins."  
  
The Magami Elder's words resonated in his mind and Saito, suddenly tired, leaned on the doorframe and murmured to himself:  
  
"She's open. I'm not. She has never tried to hide her feelings, never ever. And now, since we are linked, since her soul is a part of mine, the feelings I tried to suppress all my life are coming back... with full force. I have to be careful." Saito pushed himself off the doorframe and went further in the bathhouse to take a hot bath, which he hoped would ease his over sensitive nerves.  
  
Back in their room, sitting on her knees in the middle of the bedroom, Tokio was concentrating to create a shield on her new room. Carefully, slowly, gently she released the spell and in its perfect pattern, she found peace and relaxation, she admired the spell her father had taught her when she was little: it was an easy one, not powerful enough to be detectable but sufficiently for her to know whenever somebody would step in the room and prevent the sounds coming from the room to be heard from outside, even if somebody had his ear pressed on the door. And there was somebody. She whirled on her left, ready to face any danger, but it was only Okita, standing in the doorframe.  
  
"Oh, that's you."  
  
Okita blinked several times and scratched his cheek, confused, stepping further in the room:  
  
"I'm sure I didn't make any sound, how did you notice me? Your back was at the door."  
  
Tokio smiled and answered:  
  
"I've just released a spell that protect this room. It will tell me whenever somebody would try to step in."  
  
Okita smiled and sat down, in front of her.  
  
"Magami-san, it's..."  
  
"Please, call me Tokio. Everybody does and it makes me feel a little weird to be referred as `Magami-san'. My father or my brother are, not me." She cut him, smiling softly.  
  
"Well, alright, how should I call you... I know! I'll call you Tokio-chan, after all we've got the same age!"  
  
"Really? I thought you were older than I do."  
  
"You did? Well, that's weird, usually everybody looks down at me because I look like a little boy."  
  
"Well, if you call me Tokio-chan, how can I call you?"  
  
"Why not Soushi? That's my first name."  
  
"Hmm..." she tilted her head on the left. "I'll call you... Sou-chan!" She cried, smiling broadly.  
  
Okita blinked `Sou-chan' ? he thought, only my mum used to me this way when I was really small.  
  
"Oh, alright, if you want to, Tokio-chan." Now, no wonder why her brother seemed to be so fiercely attached to her: she's so pure and innocent. She doesn't know the dirtiness of the present world. She's been raised inside the Magami Estate, protected from the outside world since she was 7. Okita stared at her thoughtfully, how would he, in the 7 holy hells, knock some sense in her thick head?  
  
Tokio's smile widened and chuckled:  
  
"Actually, Sou-chan, you're the third person that came here, willing to talk me out of the meeting with him, tonight."  
  
Okita raised an eyebrow and smiled back. "Kondo-sama and Harada-san, I bet."  
  
Tokio nodded, still smiling. "But, as I told them, I will tell you that you are running to your deaths if you don't let me come along. Saito-san... ano, Hajime already knows this, that's why he didn't argue that much."  
  
"Where is he, by the way?"  
  
"Well, he was so angry when he left the room that he went to the dojo to practice and when he calmed down, I lost track of him."  
  
"Oh, well, actually the second reason for why I came here was to ask where Saito was." Okita smirked at her surprised look. "You are like him: too stubborn for your own good." With that, he stood up and held out a hand to her:  
  
"Come on, time for you to meet the rest of the ShisenGumi Captains. And if Baka' s not here to introduce you, well, I'll do it myself!" Okita grinned and Tokio chuckled a hand on her mouth.  
  
"Does he even know you call him `Baka'?"  
  
"Well, I've just decided to call him that way because he left you alone. Plus, he should know not to practice to ease his nerves. Let's go."  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Later in the afternoon, when Saito finally went back to the inn, he found it almost desert. Usually, at this time of the afternoon, the landlady, Kagome-san, would have come to greet any consumers that would stepped in her inn, but not this time.  
  
Saito frowned, now that's weird. He thought. Before, that man and now that. What the hell is going on down here?  
  
Nobody was in the restaurant, either but as he went further in the house, he could heard some excited voices from the kitchen.  
  
As he neared it however, the chatter suddenly stopped and a single voice rose above the respectful silence. Tokio.  
  
If the sky opened up for me,  
  
And the mountains disappeared,  
  
If the seas ran dry, turned to dust  
  
And the sun refused to rise  
  
I would still find my way,  
  
By the light I see in your eyes.  
  
The world I know fades away  
  
But you stay.  
  
Saito entered the kitchen, unnoticed by most of the people in there: the landlady, Kagome-san, her 4 maids sitting, their back to him at the table, Okita standing next to it and singing her eyes closed, sitting on the outside porch that led the kitchen to a small garden was Tokio. All around her, staring at her in awe were the 3 children of Kagome-san: 2 boys and their little sister. Okita turned his head to acknowledge Saito's presence and the brat grinned to the older man.  
  
As the earth reclaims its due,  
  
And the cycle starts anew,  
  
We'll stay, always  
  
In the love that we have  
  
Shared before time.  
  
Saito scowled him, but Okita didn't mind at all as he took his attention back to the girl. So did Saito and he lost himself again: she was sitting there, facing him. Bathed in the summer light of the sun, her hair almost glowing, she was breathtaking. She had gathered them in a loose bun and some locks gently blew by the wind caressed her neck and face. And Saito almost wished that she'd open her eyes so that he could stare in her night gaze. Defeated, he leaned on the doorframe and listened to her enchanted voice.  
  
If the years take away  
  
Every memory that I have  
  
I would still know the way  
  
That would lead me back to your side.  
  
The North Star may die  
  
But the light that I see in your eyes  
  
Will burn there always  
  
Lit by the love we have  
  
Shared before time.  
  
Movement behind him. Saito turned and watched Harada and 2 other captains coming closer to the kitchen door. Saito nodded to them as they mouthed a silent hello to him, not willing to break the magic scene playing before them. The newcomers had huge smiles on their faces and Saito rolled his eyes. He turned back his eyes to her.  
  
A woman, caressing his cheek, singing this song to lull him back to sleep... Long black hair, gentle eyes, just like his...or rather hers. Saito shook his head to clear it from Tokio's memories. This song must meant a lot to her if her memories have managed to slip in his mind.  
  
When the forest turns to jade,  
  
And the stories that we've made  
  
Dissolve away  
  
One shining light will still remain.  
  
He looked at her: she was smiling, as the song only brought back happy memories to her. She was so innocent... Sighing, Saito told himself that never a woman had taken so much importance in his life than this one. With her petite hands, she held his sanity and soul... maybe more, but he feared to name it, provided it actually was in her hands... He really should have a talk with Kamuro Magami. Soon, * very * soon. And a rather long talk too.  
  
When we shed our earthly skin,  
  
And when our real life begins,  
  
There'll be no shame  
  
Just the love that we have made before time.  
  
As the song's last notes faded in the air, Kagome and her maids heavily sighed of pure happiness and Kagome-san congratulated Tokio for her song while the girls giggled like mad, whispering among themselves. Kagome's kids had jumped on Tokio as soon as she had stopped singing and now, she was laughing her heart out as the boys fought to sit in her lap while their little sister simply took the place, unnoticed by her brothers. Saito stepped back in the shadow, watching her.  
  
Tokio, still laughing turned her head towards him but she couldn't see him, she blinked and Saito felt an inquisitive mental push on his mind's barriers: she was trying to locate him. He stepped out the shadows and went further in the kitchen, she smiled to him and turned back to the fight going on between the boys.  
  
The girls were chatting with Kagome-san, on how delighted they were at hearing such a beautiful voice and a so heart-wrenching song. Harada teased them, asking them if any of them would follow his light. One of the girls, Arashi who was actually in love with him, blushed like mad, causing the other 3 girls to giggle even more while Okita greeted the other captains who had arrived with Harada and asked them about their daily patrol in the city.  
  
But Saito took none attention of these as he headed to Tokio's side. He stood behind her and his eyes twinkled as she laughed again at the kids playing around her. The boys were still trying to determine who will sit next in Tokio's lap, after their sister.  
  
She looked up at him and put the small girl down and stood up as well, but as she was now in the garden she had to look up to look at him. She smiled and he extended a hand to her. As she took it to be lifted on the porch, Sakura-chan, Kagome's daughter, pulled on her kimono:  
  
"Ne, Tokio-neesan, I will, won't I?"  
  
"Will what, chibi-chan?" Tokio smiled down at the little girl, clutching her doll again her chest, eyes full of worry.  
  
"Nii-chan said i won't be pretty like you because I'm too small! Is that true?"  
  
Tokio laughed and kneeled on the wooden porch and took the little girl in her arms:  
  
"He's right, chibi-chan, because you'll be when you'll get older you'll be beautiful, not pretty! But beautiful!"  
  
"Is beautiful more than pretty?"  
  
Tokio laughed again, as Saito rolled his eyes and answered the small girl:  
  
"Why don't you go and ask Harada, chibi, he knows a lot about that. And you boys, why don't you go with your sister and annoy someone else for a change, like Okita?"  
  
The brothers looked at themselves, mischief burning in their brown eyes and ran, yelling for Okita while their little sister called for Harada.  
  
"Oh, Hajime, that was mean!" Tokio followed the children with her eyes, still smiling.  
  
"For whom? Those brats or Okita?"  
  
Tokio laughed once more and put a small hand on his arm. He jumped on the occasion to take her hand and led her in the garden, hidden from the curious of the kitchen.  
  
Kagome's elder sons nearly jumped on the Captain of the 1^st squad of the ShisenGumi: he, unlike that scary looking man with Tokio-neesan, was kind and always willing to play, so the boys tugged on his pants, yelling in delight for the game that would surely follow. But the young man wouldn't play with them now, because he had caught Kagome's knowing smile as she watched the couple disappeared in the yard.  
  
When she looked up at him, her eyes twinkled even more, full of secrets. Okita blinked, not really believing what Kagome was implying and the woman hid her laugh behind the sleeve of her long red kimono.  
  
If Okita's mouth could have hit the floor, it would have: he turned his gaze to the garden then back to Kagome who nodded, smiling and back to the garden again. He mouthed a "no" to Kagome but it only elicited more laughter from her. She stood up and shook her head, whispering "youngsters..." but Okita who wanted to ask her more was nearly dragged away from the kids mother when they decided that their preferred brother hadn't been giving them the attention they deserved.  
  
:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*  
  
Saito led a smiling Tokio towards the end of the yard, under the Sakura tree.  
  
"Tell me, did your mother sing that song a lot for you?"  
  
Startled, Tokio's expression soon softened as the memories from her past emerged again:  
  
"Yes... When I was little, she used to lull me to sleep, singing this song." After a pause, she looked quizzically at him "How did you know?"  
  
"I saw it, or rather I remembered it. While you were singing, that memory slipped into my mind and it just came naturally to me."  
  
"Oh... Then, I guess it means our link's getting stronger." Tokio looked down at her feet, a bitter smile playing on her lips.  
  
Saito studied her for some time then broke the silence again:  
  
"Tell me about your family."  
  
"What for? If you want to know something on them, you can just..."  
  
"I want to hear it from you, he cut her, in your words."  
  
The golden eyes were burning again, but not with fury, rather with a gentle flame she had never seen before and it warmed up her soul. She put her hands behind her back and leaned on the Sakura tree, sighing:  
  
"My mother was a beautiful woman... I don't really remember a lot of her, but I sometimes remember some feelings. A perfume can make me think of her...I remember that her hands were very soft and always warm. My father was deeply in love with her. He still is, by the way. Ryu-sama is not really my grand-father, in fact he is my great-grand-father: his daughter married an outsider of our clan, but her last daughter, my mother, had the talent so she was taken back to the Magami Clan. When my parents got married, lot of people inside the clan refused this union because she wasn't fully `pure' blooded as they put it, but my father didn't care a damn. And then, 4 years after their marriage, they had my brother and me, 2 years after."  
  
"Your parents were relatives?" his question took her back from her reverie.  
  
"No, well, very far relatives. You know, my family's really big: we even have some relatives in Tokyo and Hokkaido. I think there are some too in Okinawa."  
  
He nodded and he leaned a shoulder on the tree trunk, too, arms crossed.  
  
"We were happy. These memories are the happiest of my whole life... all destroyed."  
  
The wind blew harder and a rain of Sakura petals turned around them as a shield from the past.  
  
"After him..."she bitterly kept on "my father changed radically: he became extremely reserved and hard with everyone, even with us sometimes. It took him a while to open up a little to others again. In fact, he wouldn't talk for most of the times to the others and he would resolved the internal matters of our clan by a single look. He was pretty scary, I must admit to the others, but he remained really kind to us. Sometimes he would just show up and talk to us about our mother for hours and he held me in his arms, almost every nights because of the nightmares till my 11^th birthday. Oddly enough, the only person who would actually steal some words from him, apart from Toya and I was Tatsumi-san."  
  
"Tatsumi-san..." Saito repeated.  
  
"Yes, he too was very kind to Toya and I, when out father couldn't stay with us, or that he was needed in a matter where children just didn't have a place, he would take care of us. Or mainly watch over me and keep me out of troubles."  
  
"So, you and your brother are really close to him."  
  
Tokio nodded again and smiled sweetly at Saito, "I don't know what I would have done without him. I feel guilty sometimes... I know it's not my fault that my mother... But it wouldn't prevent me for having nightmares at nights. But Tatsumi-san, by watching over me, protecting me, helped me to push those nightmares away. And I think I owe him my sanity."  
  
"Do you know if he has some relatives, here in Kyoto?"  
  
"Huh? No, he would hardly leave the Estate. In fact, she frowned, I don't remember him leaving the Magami Domain once.. Or dressing in another color than black..."  
  
"Why did your father let a complete stranger took care of his children?"  
  
"He wasn't a complete stranger. I mean the Elders knew him and recognized him as one of ours."  
  
"I thought you said he was unknown to everybody." Saito frowned... Now, he thought, that was odd...  
  
"Well, the Elders never actually said us they knew him but when my father declared he was to be our Guardian, some feared he was him... But the Elders took his defense and declared that he was the most suitable for the Guardian role."  
  
"Oh, really? When did you say that he arrived at the Magami Estate?"  
  
"Soon after my mother's death. He popped out of nowhere at the Magami portal and went straight to my father's office where they stood lock in for what seemed to be hours back then. I remembered being scared first, because nobody knew that man or why he wanted to talk to my father or how he found the office without a guide. And suddenly, my father opened the door and told us he was to be our Guardian."  
  
"Do you trust him?"  
  
Tokio turned to face Saito and put her hands on her hips, frowning. "What does that mean, Hajime? Are you suspecting my Guardian to be him?"  
  
"Why are you so afraid of saying his name?" he asked, bluntly, ignoring her question.  
  
Taken aback, Tokio froze.  
  
"You wouldn't pronounce his name." He stated calmly.  
  
"I..."  
  
"I'm suspecting everyone. You told me once that Muraki can take anybody's appearance so I'm gathering as much as information on the people I don't know. That's all."  
  
Clapping her hands in her lap, head bowed, Tokio apologized but Saito dismissed it with a wave of his hand.  
  
"Let's go back. If you want to come with us tonight, you'll have to get yourself prepared. Come on." Saito turned on his heels and headed back to the kitchen but he stopped when Tokio closed her fingers on the back of his gi.  
  
"Yes, I am very close to Tatsumi-san: over the years, he had became my Guardian but also my closest friend and he actually was the only one that would talk to me without fearing me because I hold a part of... Mu...Muraki's soul in me." She added difficultly, Saito turned his head slightly towards hers: her fingers were clenched on the fabric of his shirt and her voice had dropped an octave because of the painful feelings held in it as she remembered. "Other children would hardly even speak to me, they were scared of what they felt inside of me, or of what they heard from their parents. Apart from Toya and Tsuzuki-kun, I had no friends of my age. I guess that makes our childhood a little more alike, don't you think?" She looked up, smiling softly to him.  
  
Saito, grunting, nodded and led her back to the house, without her letting go of the material of his gi.  
  
Back in the kitchen, Saito introduced his "wife" to the Captains Hijikata and Nagakura. The men congratulated her for her beautiful voice and her wedding, causing Tokio to blush furiously. Harada smirked, which made Saito glared at him. Tokio had let go of Saito's gi but they were standing really close, almost touching, Saito a bit in front of her. Tokio, then, excused herself and went upstairs to get prepared while Okita gestured Saito to follow him in the garden. They walked in silence till they were hidden in the shadows of the garden, Saito after Okita and Saito could see the window of their room.  
  
As soon as the older man reached the other Captain's side, the younger attacked him:  
  
"Where have you been? What would have happened if she had been attacked while you were away?" Okita glared at Saito: of all the people, he had to be him, the Miburo, to be her protector. She was too pure, too delicate, too fragile to stay with them. To stay with him. "By the way, I know about Muraki's powers. I've asked her about." He added hastily, he would have preferred Saito to tell him about this but the damn man had disappeared.  
  
Saito looked down at Okita for a long moment before leaning on the wall which surrounded the inn, shielding them from outside, his face expressionless, as usual:  
  
"I've been wandering in the city, trying to find some information on the Magami Family." A bitter smile came to his lips "an old woman told me that whoever ever crossed the path of a Magami will see his life change from point to point. She also told me the Magami were believed to be descendants of some minor God who lost his way on earth. The God in question fell in love with a human girl, but she was mortal. So, in order to prove her his love and devotion for her, the God got rid of his immortality. That's how the Magami Family was created." The golden gaze left the younger man's face to settle itself on a particular window, on the first floor, where most of the city of Kyoto could be seen. "I've seen something surprising this afternoon, though."  
  
"Which is?" Okita was still a bit angry at Saito, but he couldn't blame him the logic of his behavior: when you know nothing of your enemy, ask your allies or rather spy on your allies: they always have something hidden in theirs hearts, something that might lead you to your common enemy.  
  
"Tatsumi. Tokio's Guardian."  
  
"I remember who Tatsumi-san is. And?" Okita irritably said.  
  
"Theirs orders were clear: drop Tokio here and come back home at once." Saito informed him.  
  
"But- what was he doing in the heart of the city? Do you think he came back to see Tokio-chan?"  
  
"Tokio-chan?" Saito dumbly repeated. He looked down at Okita again.  
  
Okita rolled his eyes "You weren't there to introduce her to Kagome-san. Somebody had to do it and we are the same age, actually. And it felt weird to call ourselves by our family names."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Oh! Why don't you just spill it!? Where have you seen Tatsumi-san?" Okita scowled the older man, upset.  
  
Saito's feral smile widened. Once a Miburo, always a Miburo... "He was walking near one of the murders place. The third one." This time, both men looked at the Saito's room window, the shadow of doubt forming in their minds: well, what if it wasn't Tatsumi-san but someone else, someone who would have some unresolved matters in this city, one who could take somebody's else looks.  
  
"Does she know?" Okita's voice was clinical: this was business.  
  
"No."  
  
"Don't tell her, it may get her confused and scared."  
  
"I'm not stupid." Saito harshly answered.  
  
The Captains fell in silence, both trying to find out for what reason the real Tatsumi could actually be in the city or if it was reasonable to consider that someone may had taken Tatsumi's looks.  
  
A bird cried out, causing Okita to look up at the sky and the dropping sun.  
  
"We'd better leave soon if we don't want to be late."  
  
"You're not supposed to come, you know. Kondo needs you in the city tonight." Okita smirked: as if, he could let Saito and Tokio go alone. Whatever Kondo-sama may tell him, Okita wouldn't miss this meeting for the world. Saito rolled his eyes, he had folded his arms on his chest, and went on staring at the window again when he suddenly frowned.  
  
"What's wrong?" Okita asked, a bit surprised by the intensity of his gaze set on the window.  
  
"I don't know. I feel something on the bedroom, but I can't put my finger on it."  
  
Okita smiled and turned to leave: "Ask her. It would be easier, don't you think?"  
  
Saito grunted back and pushed himself off the wall.  
  
.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.  
  
When Saito neared the bedroom, the odd feeling he felt back in the garden annoyed him again.  
  
"Tokio, he said, I'm coming in." Without waiting for her answer, he opened the panel and stepped in. Tokio turned to greet him and Saito's mouth dropped open, surprised.  
  
She was dressed like a priestess: white gi with the Magami Seal above each breasts, red hakama and white socks. Her hair were tied in a loose white material, just like other Shinto priestess. Her arms were still raised as if she had just finished tying her hair. The sunlight enveloping her hair in a red glow, she was beyond reality. Maybe, he thought, she truly is the descendant of a God.  
  
"Hum.. What?" She dropped her arms at her side.  
  
Turning his gaze away, Saito bluntly asked:  
  
"What have you done to the room?"  
  
"I've put a shield on it so when somebody comes in, I'll know. So will you."  
  
Saito nodded and came further in the room.  
  
"Ano..." she hesitated, causing the man to turn back to her "I've also blocked the sounds of going out of the room."  
  
Saito nodded again and turn to watch the sun coming closer to the horizon.  
  
"Are you ready?" he asked after a pause.  
  
"Yes."  
  
The man nodded again and left the room, Tokio right behind him.  
  
Harada was leaning on the opposite wall, his arms folded on his chest. As the door slide open, he pushed himself off it to greet Saito with a deadly glare:  
  
"I can't go with you tonight. Kondo trapped me here to do yours and Okita's jobs." The younger man turned on his heels and without another glance walked away. Saito followed him with his eyes and shrugged, he turned on his left and exited the room.  
  
"What was wrong with Harada-san?" Tokio quietly asked as the couple, sneaking by the kitchen door, reached the yard's door, behind the inn.  
  
"He hates to stay behind but someone had to." The man answered, opening the door and peering outside for an eventual enemy.  
  
Tokio looked at the sun, not really able to suppress the daily wish... Don't disappear ... "The sun has almost set."  
  
"Then, walk faster." The quiet answer reached her mental ears since Saito was already in the street, waiting for her.  
  
Tokio gritted her teeth in annoyance and stormed outside, leaving Saito behind her. What was wrong with him?  
  
Saito waited for the outburst...but it never came. Tokio almost ran past him, ignoring him and was now storming out of anger. The Miburo chuckled under his sleeve and his eyes twinkled and his koneko, feeling the man's amusement, let her anger flare up with a new flame.  
  
Suddenly, Saito's amusement made itself announced through their link.  
  
He's laughing at me! What a jerk!!  
  
Tokio clenched her fists and tried to walk faster than him, but he had no problem to accord his pace to hers. Finally, she gave up but decided to keep at ignoring him and, when Saito reached her, she abruptly turned her head on the opposite side, making her hair slapped lightly his left arm.  
  
Since Tokio wasn't looking where she was going, she bumped into someone.  
  
"Oy! Tokio-chan, watch out!" Okita exclaimed. He too had been lost in his thoughts so when the arrival of Saito and his wife took the young Captain completely by surprise.  
  
"Oh! Gomen ne, Sou-chan!"  
  
Saito merrily rolled his eyes heavenward and without waiting for the youngsters walked away.  
  
Towards a particular temple, up the northeast hill, surrounding the city of Kyoto, the Temple of the Ise.  
  
:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;;:;:::;:  
  
"He's late." Okita looked around the place: after climbing up some stairs, they had arrived at the entrance of the Temple, surrounded by some ancestral trees, the old building breathed of purity and serenity in the setting light of the sun.  
  
It was early summer of the year 1864, three people were waiting for a killer on the top a hill, in front of a temple caressed by the red light of the sun, making it look like painted with blood.  
  
Tokio suddenly spun on her left while Saito calmly withdrew his katana from its saya: something or rather someone they both had felt was coming closer to them. It was a familiar feeling, almost comforting, oddly warm, a feeling that swept away the last of Tokio's self controlled and the cold fingers of Panic slowly reached for her heart.  
  
Saito walked in front of her, protecting her from * him *. Tokio's breathing quickened. "Calm down" Saito said "I'm here."  
  
The girl nodded difficultly and tried to calm down her racing heart; she closed her eyes and put her hands above her heart. And when she opened her eyes again, Saito would have sworn that a great white bird with eyes like the night was standing on its little mistress shoulder, ready to spread its wings to protect her.  
  
He risked a glance behind him and as expected, the great white bird was there, he nodded at her and turned back to the man, who was now stepping out of the woods where he had been watching them.  
  
Tokio watched in pure horror her tormentor coming closer. She was almost able to put a face on the man who haunted her nights.  
  
Okita withdrew his own sword. How on earth did that man come so close without being detected? Saito and Tokio had felt him, true, but the man was already few meters from them! How? The question whirled in Okita's mind...Maybe, maybe Tokio-chan and her brother were right...Maybe the Magami Family truly have a power normal people don't...  
  
Okita gritted his teeth: the questions would be for later, now it was time to fight.  
  
The man, all in black dressed, stepped out of the woods. Tokio inhaled sharply and put a hand over her mouth: it was Tatsumi.  
  
Grinning like mad, Muraki welcomed Tokio and the Captains:  
  
"Tokio-chan" he exclaimed happily "I'm so happy to see you! You've grown into a beautiful woman, I was right to spare your life 7 years ago. Our children will be as beautiful as you."  
  
Tokio came closer to Saito, shaking with horror, she grabbed his shirt as if her life depended on it but she couldn't stop staring at `Tatsumi'.  
  
"Muraki, I presume." Saito said.  
  
"I didn't know we already were that acquainted, Miburo-san." Muraki smiled back at Saito. "Anyway, I didn't expect you actually, Okita-san." He kept on "What should we do about him? What do you think Tokio-chan? Do I destroy this place spiritual balance with that little boy's blood?"  
  
"Tat...Tatsumi... What...what have you done to Tatsumi?" Tokio yelled, crying. Surprised by her outburst, Saito looked at her from the corner of his eyes, never letting Muraki disappeared from his sight.  
  
Muraki laughed, "Why do you ask, Tokio-chan? Have you realized? Maybe you'd preferred me in your mother's form or of one of the 3 girls I've killed?"  
  
"Stop it!" she cried back.  
  
And understanding came to the Captains: Muraki could only take dead people appearance. And only the people he had killed.  
  
"Tokio..." Saito started, wanting to be sure.  
  
"We didn't know" she cut him, yelling, tears running freely down her cheeks. Angry flames of hate, pain and sorrow flicked in her eyes. "We weren't sure. But, now...He's feeling like Tatsumi-san! As if, he was his replica! And, and the only way to achieve that is...is to-"  
  
"Don't bury me that fast, Tokio-sama." A weak voice stated.  
  
Tatsumi appeared, climbing up the stairs, holding his side, blood running down his chin, down his left arm which remained lifeless at his injured side.  
  
"I'm not dead yet. And I think, Muraki we haven't finished yet."  
  
"Tatsumi!" Tokio said, heading in his direction but Saito's arm shot up and blocked her way. "What..." But her voice dried in her throat as she watched her Guardian walked to them. At each step he tried to take, blood splashed the ground, forming a red tail.  
  
Finally, Tatsumi faced his uninjured mirror. He dropped his right arm at his side and stood as straight as he could, looking down at Muraki whose face hadn't moved a single muscle: he was still smiling. In fact, when Tatsumi started walking to him, his smile widened and now that the 2 men were facing each other, Muraki exclaimed:  
  
"I'm so glad you're still alive, Tatsumi-san! But, how did you manage to survive? Or rather, should I ask you how did you raise from the dead? Because you indeed was dead!" Muraki's smile became even more brightly and he kept on. "Maybe you should explain who you truly are, Tatsumi-san. Or rather should I say Reiji Magami-san."  
  
:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:  
  
Heheheheheheheheheheheh, my mind twisted again! ANYWAYS, this is the longest chapter I ever wrote! Fiou! It was a tough part, and I will try to make Saito act a little more like he usually does around Sano (means a real big bad ass! ^_^ just the way I like him!! Ahou!) About the weird end, maybe some of you try to understand what it implies... My cousin found out in three second, watch in hand... maybe, I truly am transparent...Huuum....  
  
ANYWAYS a big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big thank you to Dyosa who helped me to get the hell out of the mess I usually put myself in when writing too long sentences or weird ones... -_-;  
  
Well, see you guys,  
  
mikim 


	9. Butterfly

This is for Ketsuki. I tried to mail you but it looks like your mailbox's full. So I've decided to post this here. Hope it'll help the others… I know I'm weird and my explanations really are weird but it's truly how I see them…  
  
Here, I'm writing you to explain you about the names:  
  
Tomoyo: i love this name because of its meaning (i believes it means "friendly world" or something close to that). For me, the meaning of the name is really important and if i chose that one, there was a reason. It was because Tomoyo was the first girl to be killed (well in my story)…The "friendly world" is destroyed (means Tokio's peaceful life's over).  
  
Aï: second murder, meaning: "love" or "plea". Again, another reason: the first murder introduces the relationship between Tokio and the girl killed (yeah, i know, it's really hard to get, but in my twisted mind it's how it looks like… because Tomoyo was killed, Tokio cried and suffered) while Aï is the description of Muraki's mentality: he's obsessed with Tokio. He thinks he loves her (first meaning "Love") but his love only hurting her...(Second meaning "Plea")  
  
Do you get it? I know my explanations aren't really clear but that's the only way i found to write them down, sorry, sorry.  
  
Hitomi: third murder. Hitomi means: "eye". When Muraki kills her, we see it through Tokio's eyes. (The easier one)  
  
Tsuzuki: i l*oooooooooo*ve Yami No Matsuei and Tsuzuki was the perfect name for this fellow, always happy, ready to cause any mischief. Even though mine doesn't look like a single bit like Tsuzuki-chan of YnM....  
  
Tatsumi: well, Tatsumi of YnM even though he doesn't show it, he cares for our Tsuzuki-chan. So when i looked for a name for my Guardian, he naturally popped in my mind. Also because he's really secretive...  
  
The name "Magami" is from X of Clamp. It means "the real God" or something like that i believe...See the connection? (If not, see chapter 8 when Saito tells Okita about Tokio's family)  
  
Toya: in fact, I've chosen the name from Ayashi No Ceres. It means "ten nights". When I started writing, i wanted to give him a more important role, but it didn't happen.... At first, he was supposed to ally with Saito and help him to kill the meanie of the story on the 10th night after the beginning of the killing (i know, i know, i really have a twisted mind...maybe i should go out more often and get a little fresh air for my over heated neurons...)  
  
Reiji...I didn't know there was a Reiji in Weiss Kreuz.... Wait, now that you've mentioned it, wasn't he the big bad guy?  
  
Watari: he too was supposed to have a more important role...see how he ended ;_; only 1 or 2 lines....bouh, i really feel bad about that one.... If you've read YnM you'd know that Watari despite his cheerful face has a big secret (hope I'm not spoiling you...If yes, well, I'm soooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrry)...  
  
Kamuro: in fact, this one is from KaMiKaZe from Satoshi Shiki. It means "from the god" i think. So if you put the 2 together : Kamuro Magami= the real god from heavens. Well, that's what i wanted it to mean.... Anyway, i used it because i wanted him to have an aura of power and knowledge: he knows everything (he can hear people's thoughts) and he's the 1st elder, one of the most powerful men of the clan. Well his relationship with the Head Clan is quite unclear (even in my own mind, I'm still trying to find a way out, but I'm more and more drifting to let that matter drop....)  
  
Muraki: i took his name because he's my favorite insane character around. There's no other reason, for him, though...  
  
There's reason too for the song...But, i won't tell you because it would give out too much of the story! (hehehehe) maybe I'll add another one…  
  
Again thanks a lot to all of you who reviewed my story. It helped a lot. It really did, it always does.  
  
Now, on to the story!!!!!  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
"The Third Soul"  
  
Chapter 9: Butterfly  
  
Standard Disclaimers Apply.  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
  
  
"I'm so glad you're still alive, Tatsumi-san! But, how did you manage to survive? Or rather, should I ask you how did you raise from the dead? Because you indeed were dead!" Muraki's smile became even more brightly and he kept on. "Maybe you should explain who you truly are, Tatsumi-san. Or rather should I say Reiji Magami-san."  
  
"What? Tatsumi-san! What the hell is he saying?" Tokio was shaking.  
  
"Tokio!" Saito turned and held her back, but his gaze was still locked on Muraki.  
  
"Tatsumi-san! Tatsumi-san, what is he saying?" Tokio cried out, fighting Saito's embrace.  
  
"The truth, my love. Only and always the truth." Muraki smiled gently to Tokio once more. A smile that froze her to death. "But, please, Tatsumi- san, heal yourself. I'll wait."  
  
Tatsumi inhaled sharply and closed his eyes.  
  
Wind blew around him and as if the wind had taken them away, his injuries disappeared, little by little.  
  
"What the bloody hell…" Astonished, Okita couldn't end his own sentence, he couldn't even believe his own eyes.  
  
"NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" Tokio yelled, fighting Saito's hold on her but he was too strong for her. So she gave up and as a lifeless doll she watched in horror the man she considered as her only friend, her guardian.  
  
So Muraki was right. Her father had broken the most sacred law of their clan. And it would cost him his life and Tatsumi's.  
  
"Care to explain?" Saito asked. One of them needed to stay in control and if not Tokio, then it should be him.  
  
"Sure, Miburo!" Muraki happily complied. "When I killed Tokio-chan' s mother, her father went insane and…"  
  
"THAT CAN'T BE TRUE! My father would never do something like that! Never!" Tokio yelled, cutting Muraki.  
  
Muraki's face darkened: "I hate it when people cut me." He made a odd movement of his wrist and immediately after, Tokio yelped in pain. Saito had to support her so that she would remained on her feet and not giving Muraki the satisfaction of falling before him.  
  
"Don't worry, Tokio-chan, I'll teach how to please me…" Muraki kept on and his face cracked with a smile.  
  
"Tokio-chan!" Okita exclaimed in alarm. "Are you…" But he couldn't finish his sentence as the wind hit him with full force, sending him crashing on one of the temple pillars and knocking him out. Saito's eyes widened in shock as his friend was swept away as a vulgar leaf.  
  
"Shut up." Muraki smiled warmly at the unconscious Okita. "How dared you to call her that way? Only I has the right too."  
  
Saito pushed Tokio firmly behind him and asked: "Ahou ga, why don't you finish your story?"  
  
Muraki's face reddened a little at the provocation but he mastered his anger and managed to cast a smile at the couple.  
  
"Her father's desire, no need to protect his children from me was so great that he, unconsciously, released a certain amount of power that created Tatsumi's soul and body."  
  
"Liar." Tokio managed to say between her gritted teeth, her eyes set on her enemy, full of hatred for the man and suffering.  
  
"Really? Have you forgotten Tokio-chan? I am the one who say the truth! I'm illusion and to make perfect illusion I have to know the truth, don't you think Reiji Magami-san?"  
  
Tatsumi had opened his eyes again and was now ready to battle.  
  
"He's telling you the truth."  
  
Tokio's world went to pieces…She felt like spinning, faster and faster… And nothing seemed to be strong enough to hold on her. A wolf jumped into her infernal spiral, grabbed her gi and sent her back to reality with a strong jerk of his head, giving her support and comfort in the meantime. Then she heard Muraki burst in laughter, saying : "Then, let's start playing!"  
  
…………………………………………  
  
…………………………………………  
  
Muraki opened his arms wide and the wind started to blow around them, circling around their legs. Sound of thousands of birds soon made itself heard and as expected, the same deadly birds, which had attacked Saito earlier, appeared out of nowhere and aimed dangerously at the couple.  
  
Saito greeted his teeth, readying himself to battle.  
  
"Tokio" he whispered "let's move closer to Okita."  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Stay close to me." He ordered again and the two of them, walked towards Okita, Saito slicing the birds that came too close to them. Tokio kneeled next to him and helped him up as the young man came back to his senses.  
  
"What happened?" Okita asked, rubbing his head.  
  
"He knocked you out and birds are coming closer." Saito looked at the birds: Muraki was only playing with them. Teasing, a bird came forward to wound him, and the other stood behind, watching. Muraki was only teasing them: he could send all his weapons in once but he didn't. Why? He said it earlier, for the sake's of play.  
  
"Birds? What birds?" Okita asked, looking up.  
  
"He can't see them." The young woman stared unbelieving at the young Captain.  
  
"Thanks a lot, Tokio, I needed you to tell me." Saito said, ironically looking down at her. He turned back quickly to slice down a bird that had came a little too close at his own likes.  
  
"No need to be so sarcastic!" She groaned. "All I wanted to say is that he won't be able to defend himself against Muraki attacks."  
  
"Sure." The man added, a lop side grin playing on his lips. "I haven't realized it myself, thanks again."  
  
Angered, Tokio stood up and let her temper go. She reached in her sleeves and pulled out several ofudas. Glaring at Saito, she released the spell, which allowed her to create some birds on her own. Clapping her hands together, she mentally led her birds to draw on the floor, around them, the symbol that would shield them from Muraki's birds. Feeding the symbol with her power, Tokio released her anger, pain, sorrow in the spell, making it shine with strength and willpower. The great white bird, once again, rested on her shoulders but this time, a wolf was laying at her feet.  
  
Okita withdrew his sword, not really knowing why, but there was an odd feeling in the air, a threatening one.  
  
"What's going on down here?" He asked Saito.  
  
"Tell you later." Came the short and blunt reply. Okita would have let it pass if it was a normal day and a normal battle, if a battle could actually be qualified of being normal, but it wasn't. He needed to understand. And now. But he hadn't had the time to. His gaze, who had been wandering around them, fell on the other two opponents and Okita no longer paid attention to Saito who oddly kept on slashing the air up and down.  
  
The other two men were facing each other, doing nothing but the tension between them was so evident that Okita was surprised not to see thunder crashing down between the two.  
  
And Muraki smirked. Okita froze and Muraki waved at him: "Nice job, Tokio- chan. But will it be strong enough to defeat this?"  
  
Tatsumi took the opportunity and ran forward to slash the man down with a sword that was coming out of his hand. Muraki avoided the cut, laughing and disappeared, simply and purely: he vanished as if he was nothing but thin air.  
  
"Where are you looking at?" He said, happily. "I'm right here!" Another Tatsumi emerged from the temple, behind Tokio, Saito and Okita. The three of them whirled around and Okita put himself in front of the girl as Saito was behind her.  
  
Muraki chuckled once more.  
  
"What the hell!" Okita gasped. Another 'Tatsumi' just got of the forest, grinning madly. Then, three more climbed the stairs and stepped at the Temple entrance. Okita looked around him, as more and more Tatsumis got out of the shadows of trees, temple… Now, several Tatsumi encircled them. They all bore the solemn face of the Guardian.  
  
"Don't panic, Sou-chan. It's only an illusion." Some of the Tatsumis faced each other, withdrawing their owns katana against each other, some turned to fight, Saito, Okita and Tokio. "But, be careful, if you got hit by one of them, your mind but also your body will receive the impact of it. You can get killed by one of them. The same goes for you, Hajime." Tokio added looking over her shoulder to him. You promised. He grunted back, nodding once. He then turned his back at her, to face some of their opponents who were making rounds around them.  
  
"Tokio, Saito quietly asked, can you tell us which one is the truth?"  
  
"No…they all feel real for me. Give me some time and I'll be able to tell you which one is Tatsumi-san."  
  
Saito nodded once more and the ShisenGumi took their battle stances.  
  
Tokio kneeled on the ground, concentrating, detaching herself of what was going on around her: some Tatsumi fighting one another, Okita blocking one of them while Saito fought against three Tatsumi.  
  
"How nice of you, Muraki. Three against one, you're underestimating me…"  
  
Tokio smiled, feeling Saito assurance in her heart, it gave her the courage and strength she needed and once again, the great white bird took its flight.  
  
:::::::::::::~:::::::::::::~::::::::::::::  
  
She was flying, she was the air, she was the wind, she was the earth, everything and nothing. She was a bird, a great, white bird with black liquids pools for eyes, a long, slender neck and graceful wings. She turned above the battle area and studied the fighters: some of the Tatsumis were fighting among themselves, surely to provide Muraki a protection from Saito or Tokio's interference when he'd try to kill Tatsumi-san… Tatsumi-san, her heart tightened, so he was created from Father… She shook her head and once more concentrated on the battle going on: Okita was fighting against two Tatsumi who were trying to reach her body. The young Captain had an amazing force, his ki was flaring up and he slashed one of his opponents down. But a third Tatsumi, sneaking behind him, aimed at his head. Okita sensed it, whirled around and blocked the man's sword with his other little katana.  
  
Tokio turned her attention to Saito, who was playing around with one remaining Tatsumi, his ki brighter than usual he was enjoying himself. Settled with her examination of the ShisenGumi Captains, she turned to the Tatsumis who were fighting themselves, trying to find the illusions and the real one.  
  
Shaking her head, she cried out in despair as she found herself unable to tell where the real Tatsumi was. No, no, where is Tatsumi?  
  
A familiar feeling soothed her and attracted her attention: coming closer to her was another bird, just like her. But instead of being white, the bird's feathers were all black but the eyes were white, pure white, as the snow from the highest mountains. Toya.  
  
The bird that was her brother came closer to its white twin and wrapped its black neck around the white one. Time stood still.  
  
Tokio had reintegrated her body and Toya was standing in front of her, smiling.  
  
"I can't stay for too long, imouto-chan, Tsuzuki-kun' s covering me up. Here, I came to give you this." Toya said, taking her hand and putting in it a ceremonial knife. Ryu's.  
  
"But, this is…" She stared at the knife in her hand and glared at her brother: "You didn't steal it, did you?"  
  
Toya smiled sheepishly: "Do you really believe that I could sneak out of the Magami Domain by myself? I needed some help and Grand-Pa was willing to help so… I guess Atsuko-sama will make me clean up every single floor of the main house as my punishment. I guess she'll have Tsuzuki doing it too."  
  
Tokio closed her fingers around the knife and held it close to her heart. "Arigatou, onii-chan. But, tell me, did you-" Toya put a finger on his sister's lips.  
  
"Yes, I knew for Tatsumi-san. But, imouto-chan, he's not our father, what he's been through the bad times like the good times are all different from our father. That's what make him different…Oh, shot. I can't stay any longer, Kamuro-sama is coming to kick my ass back home. Good luck." He whispered, kissing her on the cheek. Toya vanished and Time took back his throne on life.  
  
Tokio was still kneeling on the Temple ground, between Okita and Saito, both of them fighting back their opponents. Her lips had still been forming the words of the spell, she had to change her tactic and do it fast, before Muraki could realize she was actually planning to attack him.  
  
It will hurt like hell, but better this that letting Tatsumi die. He's not father. He's a member of my family, an uncle maybe, but family.  
  
She withdrew the ceremonial knife from its saya and abruptly changed the spell. Chanting louder and louder, the wind whirled around her, screaming in disagreement.  
  
Kamuro-sama' s voice, when he was giving her lessons, resonated at her ears: "Tokio-chan, you can' t switch spells so abruptly. When you're chanting a spell, you're binding yourself at its structure and detaching yourself from it too quickly will cause you harm. The kind of harm depends on the strength of the spell you threw away."  
  
Wind made her robes floating around her, knife in her right hand, she stroke the ground, still chanting. The great white bird grew even bigger and turned its head to the sky, screaming. It flew towards some Tatsumi and went through the man. The illusion shattered.  
  
Muraki's counter attack didn't wait for long. Immediately after the first fallen illusion, another bird aimed at Tokio but the wolf jumped at the bird throat and the two of them fought in a tangle of fur, feather, blood, claws and fangs. Saito lost his concentration when he saw a big wolf coming from out of nowhere and protecting Tokio from one of Muraki's attack. His opponent took advantage of his surprise and aimed his heart but he only wounded Saito's right thigh, who scolded himself for being so restless.  
  
However, Tokio paid no attention at the wolf: she kept on 'killing' the illusions, but watchful golden eyes saw the opportunity there to destabilize Muraki even further, maybe get rid of him, if the strike was given at the right time.  
  
*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:  
  
Tokio could felt it: with each fallen illusion, Muraki's strength was slowly but surely getting weaker. If she could destroy all the remaining illusions in once, she would give him a powerful strike but she, too, was getting tired… sweating and panting, Tokio started to shake, she wouldn't last for long… A ghostly hand caressed her forehead, brushing the sweat away. Windy lips moved closer to her ears.  
  
…Free me…  
  
…I want to leave…  
  
…I hurts…  
  
…Why am I still here?…  
  
…Free me…  
  
…Help me…  
  
…Free me…  
  
…It hurts…  
  
Tokio froze in shock. These voices belonged to the girls Muraki had killed the last three nights. Their souls were stuck within Muraki and now under Tatsumi and Tokio's attacks, Muraki was losing control over his last preys…  
  
The thought fired Tokio's hatred towards the man and she withdrew the ceremonial knife from the ground. Beginning her spell once again, she stabbed the ground perpendicularly compared to the first time, forming a cross. This time, four Tatsumi vanished, eaten by flames, Muraki hugged himself in pain and Tokio fell on the ground shaking and coughing blood.  
  
__________________________________________  
  
__________________________________________  
  
Tatsumi watched Muraki doubling up with pain, he then launched himself on Muraki to stab him, right in his heart. But the killer hadn't said his last words, with a last start of pure willpower, Muraki sent Tatsumi away. But the harm had already been done: Tokio had freed the girls' souls making them out of Muraki's reach.  
  
Mad with pain Muraki fell on his knees. Maybe a good kill would help him to get back in control. Getting back on his feet, Muraki quickly marched over where Tatsumi lied down and stabbed him in the stomach twice. Tatsumi yelled.  
  
"You dared to love her" he growled in Tatsumi's ear, making his sword turn into the man's stomach. "This is your punishment. And this time, I don't think that your creator will be able to support it. He'll die with you, be happy, I give you some company." Muraki avoided just in time Saito's sword but Saito didn't: Muraki's sword wounded deeply his right side. And Muraki vanished in the air. Tokio raised her head from the ground, little blood running on her chin.  
  
But Muraki's voice lasted after him:  
  
"Tokio-chan, you're playing a dangerous game, I should punish you but you're already suffering a lot because of your actions and it won't teach you anything. But, Tokio-chan, I promise you to teach you a lesson or two. You really hurt me, this time but I forgive you because I love you." Tokio moaned in pain, not only from a physical pain but also from one which touches the soul.  
  
With the help of Okita, Tokio came to Tatsumi's side. She fell on her knees next to him and took his hand in hers. He difficulty opened his brown eyes and stared at her for a while.  
  
Okita moved closer to Saito, who to steady himself on his feet had to lean on his sword, planted in the ground. Okita ripped Saito's gi, making some bandages and wrapped them around the older man's side. Tokio studied Saito's face as she felt his pain, worried for him. Dark clouds of rain accumulated themselves above their heads.  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
  
"I have been loving you…" Time froze and Tokio slowly turned her head back to her Guardian, lying down, in a red pool. Small drops of rain fell, troubling the ruby red pool.  
  
"How could I not love you?" he asked her "You've always the only one important to me, I watched you grow into a fine, beautiful and young woman. The need that gave me life turned into desire to see you happy…" His voice slowly faded to become a whisper. Drops ran down his face. "Living besides you, watching you smile, laugh or cry. Being there when you needed me. How I've loved when your eyes would light up because you had something to tell me, something to show me. Don't blame yourself. My wish had always been to die for you." He tried to squeeze her hand a little, but failed, the dark shadow of Death, which had let him escaped from its grip once, engulfed him again.  
  
Rain fell heavier, the two ShisenGumi, one holding his left arm, the other his right side, remained silent under the rain as the man whose soul had been created only for her sake said his goodbyes to the girl who had taken so much importance in his life and finally fulfilled his wish.  
  
Tokio, amazed, watched three butterfly coming closer to her. One of them rested on Tatsumi's lips while the other two circling around his head. They, then, took their flight. A fourth butterfly had joined them, quickly followed by a fifth one.  
  
.~.……………….~.………………….~.……………….  
  
"I don't understand. What the hell were all these Tatsumi?"  
  
Harada was bandaging Okita's left arm, in Saito's room. The latter was leaning against the window frame, watching the yard where a little someone was hiding behind a particular Sakura tree.  
  
"When we were carrying Saito-san back, Tokio-chan explained it to me. But I didn't catch everything, though…"  
  
"Try me." Harada eagerly waited for his friend to continue.  
  
"Muraki must have killed Tatsumi once before, he then sucked his soul like he always does. So, when Muraki realized we wouldn't let him kill Tatsumi a second time, he needed something to keep us busy while he'd kill Tatsumi. I think he wanted to give Tokio-chan the last blow by this, I mean making her realize that her most trusted friend no longer lived and he almost succeeded. Anyway, 'Tatsumi' was created from Reiji Magami-san, Tokio's father, need to protect his children. She told me he had to use a forbidden spell to create her Guardian, because when you create a soul from a need or desire, this need and desire will lead the new soul life forever. Nothing else would matter to the new life, only the need, here the visceral need to protect his own children."  
  
"So, Tatsumi-san was Reiji Magami."  
  
"Yes… and no. I mean, first he was Reiji Magami-san but the experience and the everyday matters Tatsumi had to solve was made from his own decision. Do you understand?"  
  
"Hum…so, it's a bit as if Tatsumi-san and Tokio's father were once at the beginning and then due to the different leads that their lives have taken they differentiated one another more and more with time."  
  
Okita nodded, thoughtfully. "But the need to protect his children never left either men hearts. And when Tatsumi died for the second time, Reiji Magami lost his life too."  
  
"Why not the first time when Muraki killed Tatsumi?"  
  
"Hum, that's what I didn't quite catch… She said it had to do with power: when you create a new life from your power, you first support it, then, with the time, the new one can support itself. But, the creator and the created share a link forever and here, the created died once, but Reiji Magami was the Head Clan, after all. So he summoned Tatsumi again."  
  
"I guess it has some limits and the second time was a time too much."  
  
"Well, I don't know, she said something about another forbidden spell about calling the dead. And the price to pay was both lives."  
  
"Hum…" Harada remained silent for several minutes, trying to assimilate everything Okita had told him. Only the rain could be heard. "But, he said, can we say that Tatsumi was a real person? I mean, he was created from another one's desire to fulfill another one's wish, after all. He only was a… plaything. I don't know how to say it."  
  
"Tatsumi-san was a 'real' person. He took care to Tokio since she was seven, that's why he came back. Tokio told me once that Toya had swore to Tatsumi he'd grow to be the stronger man of the Magami Clan so that all he would have to do was to watch over her. The one in immediate danger was Tokio and he couldn't leave her be. I think Tatsumi decided by himself to come back, against Magami-san's order because Tatsumi was in love with her." Saito stated, not bothering to face the other two men. Okita sighed and recalled what had happened at the Temple.  
  
"What?" Harada, shocked, pulled a bit hard on the bandage, causing Okita to yelp in pain. "Gomen." He muttered to his younger friend.  
  
"Think for a while, will you? I swear, it'll help."  
  
Harada groaned and Saito smirked, turning back, he then locked his gaze with Harada's :  
  
"He took care of her since she was seven, nobody else mattered. Toya was different, he was under the Elders fiery protection because he's the heir. But what about her? She held for years the first place in his heart. Years passed and she no longer was a child: she became a woman. Reiji Magami only wanted to make sure his children were safe, but why did Tatsumi come back? Because he had acquired his own free will, soul and heart. Can this sink in your head and make you understand what I'm saying?"  
  
Harada struggled, holding himself back at lurching at Saito's throat. But the untold words resonated in his mind: 'he came back to protect his love. To give his life to his love.'  
  
The golden-eyed man only chuckled at his youngster behavior and turned back at the window, gazing down at the yard, where he could see Tokio's form, crying as usual.  
  
She had her knees drawn to her chest her back at the tree and him. The rain was pouring for hours, now. She was cold, he could felt it, and numb: she just couldn't move. "I've been loving you." Words played in her mind again and again. Love me… I stopped him to get attached to someone else, he… Father, what have you done? Her father. He was dead now, Toya will be the next Head Clan of the Magami Clan. He must have run away in the forest so that nobody would see him cry. Onii-chan, forgive me. Tokio put her head on her knees, rain poured down on her. Will the rain take my pain away? Would you take my pain away? Somebody help me.  
  
Upstairs, in his room, by the window, golden eyes watched small shoulders shake with sobs.  
  
.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.  
  
I suck at action scenes……Forgive me minna, for this horrible chapter….Duuuh, when I was writing it, I had the end before the middle written down… I'm also trying to make Saito a bit more saitoish ( =a real pain in the butt)… Does it work? Anyways, stay tuned for next part!!!!!!  
  
I changed the name of this part and added a few lines… Why? Well I've just seen Cowboy Bebop and it made me remembered a tale my mum told me once. It was about the butterflies which were in fact the dead people souls that come back to earth, times to times to see how their loved ones go on with their lives. I love the idea.  
  
See ya all!!!! 


	10. Storm

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
"The Third Soul"  
  
Chapter 10: Storm.  
  
Standards Disclaimers Apply.  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
From the kitchen door, Kagome Yoshizuki watched Saito Hajime's wife, still behind the Sakura tree. The Sakura tree. Her late husband had planted that tree. Kagome turned around and sighed heavily.  
  
Saito-san really should get his wife. The night has already fallen and she'll catch a bad cold sitting like this. She thought. I should tell him.  
  
Nodding to herself, Kagome made her way out the crowded kitchen: it was almost dinnertime and everything had to be settle for when the hungry wolves would arrive. Lost in her thoughts, she almost bumped into Okita.  
  
"Oh, Okita-kun! Gomen nasai." She smiled to him.  
  
"No problem, Kagome-san." He grinned at her. "Ne, have you seen Tokio- chan?" Okita was the younger of the ShisenGumi Captains and the most easily to get along with. He was so kind and always willing to entertain her kids. Kagome almost considered him as one of her children.  
  
"As a matter of fact, I was looking for Saito-san because I wanted to tell him to go and bring his wife back in the house. She'll catch a cold in that rain."  
  
"She's outside?" Okita asked.  
  
"Yes, under the Sakura tree." Kagome sighed. "Okita-kun, you should tell Saito-san to fetch her."  
  
"Aa." The man cast a last glance at the kitchen back door and retreated inside.  
  
The woman turned back to her kitchen. As she walked in, because one of the maids needed her help, a thunderclap could be heard, sending goose bumps down Kagome's spine.  
  
I have a bad feeling about tonight… Something horrible will happen tonight.  
  
Sadly, Kagome, once again, turned her gaze to the garden.  
  
/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/  
  
"Saito-san?" Okita asked, knocking at the door. "May I come in? I wish to talk to you about a major problem…" Okita's voice trailed off, as the young man eyed suspiciously one of the ShisenGumi men walked by.  
  
What is that man doing here?  
  
The man nodded to Okita as he passed him and disappeared round the corner of the corridor.  
  
Saito slid the panel open and let Okita walk in, before closing it again. The room was drowned in darkness: the window was still open and as far as Okita could remember since the ShisenGumi had settled in this inn, Saito had never closed once his window. The dark clouds, pouring their water onto the city, still ran in the skies, being sometimes accompanied of flash of lightings and sounds of thunder.  
  
A storm's coming closer.  
  
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a lighting flash filled the window of its light, revealing the three people. Kondo, sitting on the tatami floor, had his arms crossed on his chest and his frown hardened his face even more: the man was obviously preoccupied by Saito's rapport on the event that had occurred at the Temple.  
  
Harada too was present in the room but he was leaning against one of the wall. Half lit up by the moonlight and the occasional lightings, his face was as hard as a stone.  
  
Okita didn't know the third man: he was sitting opposite to Kondo. The lighting flash let Okita see a symbol on the man chest, kneeling face to Kondo, just above his heart: a symbol of power and fright, a symbol of unknown knowledge to common folk, a symbol that he had learned to respect fully. The Magami Symbol.  
  
"Saito-san" the young man began, still looking at the unknown man, now hidden back in the shadows of the room. "You should pick up Tokio-chan. She's still outside, in the rain. Kagome-san has noticed her and she starts asking questions. She may not be the only to have notice her, behind the Sakura Tree."  
  
"What is she doing outside, in the rain?" Kondo's voice was dull. As if the man has just been struck right to heart. And Okita remembered, the day before, something the ShisenGumi Head had said:  
  
"Reiji-san and I are from the same Sword School. We've been friends since that day."  
  
He's just lost another friend. Okita sighed sadly and squared his shoulders. We are soldiers, after all, in a wartime. We mustn't let our hearts guide our lives.  
  
Without a word, Saito headed to the door. But as he put a hand on its frame to slide it open, the stranger spoke:  
  
"Hearts, souls, bodies and minds. All linked to each other. If one of them falls, the rest will shortly follow. Her heart is sinking, Saito-san, you brought her once back. Bring her back again."  
  
Saito nodded and went outside. And the man kept on:  
  
"My name's Kamuro Magami, I am the Magami Clan First Elder. Pleased to meet you, Okita-san."  
  
:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:  
  
Saito difficulty went down the stairs. His wound was still fresh: only two hours long to be exact. He was holding his right side when he met Kagome- san, in front of the kitchen. She was holding food trays, obviously going to serve them in the restaurant. She stared at him for a while in silence. She, then, did something that surprised him: her eyes filled with sadness, and as she nodded to him, she stepped aside to let him go in the kitchen. Saito threw a glance above his shoulders, just before stepping out, in the rain, in the garden to find Kagome-san, still holding her tray, still staring at him.  
  
Saito walked to the tree. The rain had formed some little rivers running into the garden but even though it was raining as if a sea was being poured on them, the night was still warm. It wasn't unpleasant to be there, under the rain.  
  
As he reached the tree, Saito was already completely drenched. Tokio didn't even bother to acknowledge his presence: she kept her head on her knees. Saito stared down at her for minutes: head on knees, hair covering her face, water running down her limbs and face and eyes as empty as a dead people.  
  
Dead.  
  
But she wasn't: the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest, evidence of her breathing, the way her hands, dropped at her feet, would shiver whenever the wind would caress them.  
  
Saito gritted his teeth and sat down next to her. He turned his face to the skies and waited. Minutes or hours after, Saito couldn't tell, he felt a dead weight fall on his left shoulder. He sighed and put his arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer to him. She put her left hand on his chest and let her forehead fall against his throat.  
  
"Crying is fine, when you lose someone. But drowning in guilt and sorrow will never resolve anything. Pull yourself together, our war is not over, he will come back." Saito calmly said. He felt her take a sharp intake of breath and Tokio suddenly nodded against his chest. After a short moment of silence, she broke it, asking:  
  
"Then would you let me cry for my father and for Tatsumi when it'll be over?" Her voice was devoid of feelings.  
  
So unlike her… Just like me.  
  
"Aa."  
  
"Would you be with me?"  
  
"Aa."  
  
She nodded again.  
  
Thunder roared in the skies. Lighting fell on the ground, lighting up a man with silver hair, sword in the hand, facing another man, wearing a light blue hakama. Tokio gripped Saito's gi.  
  
"He's…he's out."  
  
Immediately, Saito pulled her closer to his chest and said:  
  
"Show me."  
  
"I can't." She moaned.  
  
"Tokio." His voice was firm and steady. He was looking straight ahead in front of him: a wolf, coming from the bushes, was sitting a few meters from them, waiting. On instinct, Saito looked up, at the tree branches: the white bird too was there. Saito squeezed Tokio a little. "Tokio. Let me." The bird took its flight and landed next to the wolf. Both animals stayed still, looking at the couple. Saito, then, lowered his head and whispered in her ear: "I have promised."  
  
The world went upside down, spinning faster and faster than never before and when it settled, the Miburo wasn't under Sakura tree anymore, but in one of Kyoto streets.  
  
I'm looking through her eyes. So his eyes.  
  
In front of him, a man wearing a light blue hakama, whose blood was drenching his clothes along with the heavy rain, stood difficulty on his feet. He looked like ready to collapse any moment. But still, Muraki was torturing him.  
  
"Oh! We've got a new passenger? Is that you Saito-san?" The other man's eyes widened and he looked around, hoping for one of his Captains to come and save him but nobody came.  
  
Muraki. Bastard. He said my name on purpose.  
  
The injured man lost hope, seeing no one coming to him, and he dropped his defense stance. Muraki stabbed him in the chest.  
  
The dying man lying at his feet, Muraki absorbed his soul, in pure delight.  
  
Screams. Someone close to him was screaming. Saito came back in the garden, holding Tokio. She was the one screaming. As if she could scratch Muraki's face, she had extended her arms, trying to reach out for an invisible one. Thunder roared again, covering her screams of pain. Saito buried his face in her neck and slammed his back to the tree because of his side injury. Through her hair, he could see the animals, still sitting there. But they had changed: the wolf had now a white stain on his chest and the bird's eyes were now gold. The wolf stood up and walked away, vanishing in the night as the bird flew away in the raging sky.  
  
"Her heart is sinking, Saito-san, you brought her once back. Bring her back again."  
  
Saito bit his lower lip, cursing Muraki to hell and came to a decision: he put his hands on each side of her face and stared deep in her eyes till her irises came to back to focus. His forehead was almost touching hers and their breaths were mingling. A sob escaped her lips:  
  
"Help me…" she pleaded. "He's devouring my soul."  
  
Saito bent his head closer to hers and whispered against her lips:  
  
"Then, take mine."  
  
Before she could answer, or rather before he could think better of it, Saito kissed her fully on her lips: he kissed her as if there was no tomorrow for them, letting his long-locked emotions stir inside of him and knock him out of his senses.  
  
The shock of Saito's action finally sunk into Tokio's brain. And, as if she was only having a nightmare, the link she shared with Muraki was swept away for a moment.  
  
He's kissing me!  
  
The feeling of his lips against hers made her fell like there was the butterfly spreading its wings in her stomach. His tongue played across her lips to encourage her to let him in. Tokio was sure he could hear her heartbeat pounding at her ears. His warmth and the way his hands felt against her cheeks sent goose bumps down her spine.  
  
All this along with the feeling of the rain running down her hands soothed her and freed her from Muraki's grip, even if it was only for minutes, but it helped Tokio to find herself again. She smiled against his lips and Saito broke the kiss but Tokio locked her eyes with his, still smiling. For once, in a long time, she felt whole again. She, then, kissed him.  
  
:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;::;:;:;:;:;:;:  
  
"Maybe you would like to talk with me, now, Saito-san?"  
  
Kamuro Magami walked out of the shadows of the night; Saito was leaning against the bathroom door, arms crossed in front of his chest. After spending almost four hours under the rain, Tokio went back to the inn with Saito. Just when she and Saito were about to go upstairs to change, Kagome had caught her and sent her to the bath with a pile of clean and dry clothes for Tokio to wear. But the girl was reluctant to be apart from Saito, and so the man had no choice but to follow her. He had sighed and walked her to the bathroom.  
  
A small roof protected the bathroom's fire and the bathroom door was right next to it. That was where Saito had been leaning for the past half hour. Kagome had brought him a yukata and he had taken off his hakama and put the yukata over his wet gi. But standing near the fire had almost dried it completely.  
  
"And what would be our discussion topic, Magami-sama?"  
  
"Maybe the heart of the little girl, behind the door." The first Elder answered quietly, walking towards the Miburo. Saito watched him with guarded eyes: the other man's aura was full of secrets; secrets that the Miburo needed to know to go on.  
  
"Why are you here, Magami-sama?"  
  
"Someone had to tell Tokio-chan about her father's death." Kamuro answered, sitting on a rock nearby.  
  
"She already knew. You knew that too. We both know. Why?"  
  
"Blunt questions, blunt answers..." The Elder shook his head. "You should work a little on your communication skills with other people, Saito-san."  
  
The silence only greeted his remark. Kamuro smiled, sighing:  
  
"Ah, well, I think i can't fool you. You are, after all, the Mibu No Ookami." Kamuro looked up at the skies. "I will tell you anything you want to know. There has been too many deaths, right now, and i may be damned forever but I can't keep this secret any longer."  
  
"Why did Muraki attack your family?"  
  
"First, he didn't attack our clan. He attacked the Head Clan family... But, maybe you should know that Atsuko is...or rather was Reiji foster mother. And his aunt." Kamuro looked down at his hands. "Atsuko had a twin sister, Arashi... Arashi who was killed by Muraki's mother."  
  
Kamuro stopped and stared for a long time at his hands. "Identical twins, like Arashi and Atsuko, with power are a dangerous thing. These two together were the most powerful bomb of our times... Well, maybe Tsuzuki and Toya together could be stronger, but they aren't twins and despite the link that they share, their friendship I mean, they would never be as strong as Arashi and Atsuko. You may know that if one of the identical twins was upset, the other will automatically be as upset."  
  
"Muraki's father was in love with Atsuko, or so she believed, and so was she, but he was an outsider and the Elders had suspicions about him. Even if his power was wonderful, their engagement wasn't accepted but Atsuko braved their decision and got married secretly. When the Elders found out, they got extremely piss off and so Atsuko was banished from the Magami Clan but she was denied the right to leave."  
  
"Being the rebellious type, Atsuko ran away with her lover. Arashi who didn't like her sister's lover made some research on him. And she found out that he was already married and also a father. Without telling anybody, not even her own husband, she went off after her sister. When she found her, Arashi explained her everything. But Atsuko wouldn't believe her and it took her Muraki's father to try to kill her twin sister to make her come back to her senses."  
  
Kamuro paused and his gaze got lost in the contemplation of the past.  
  
"I've always believed that Muraki's father had cast a spell on Atsuko, but she wouldn't tell anything about that. I was sent after Arashi when we realized she was missing. When I arrived at Atsuko and Muraki's father hiding place, I found the two sisters hugging themselves and crying their eyes out, Muraki's father lying at their feet… They made a pretty sight. On our way back to the Magami Estate, Atsuko and Arashi were inseparable like when they were little girls. A woman showed up, at night; we had to camp. Maybe she mistook Arashi for Atsuko or maybe the main goal had always been Arashi, but in her sleep, Arashi was murdered. Atsuko and I arrived too late to save her, but Atsuko killed the woman before she could escape. She was Muraki's mother."  
  
"How did you know who she was?"  
  
"When we got back to the Magami Estate, after a few days, we got an anonymous letter telling us he would come to avenge his mother."  
  
Saito was still leaning on the bathroom door. He was looking up at the skies, which were slowly clearing up a little. He could almost see some stars. "So, I guess Atsuko raised the child as her own, after. That's why Muraki attacked him and not Atsuko directly."  
  
"Yes… But something that wasn't in his plan happened: he actually fell in love with Tokio… Do you understand, Saito-san?"  
  
"Understand what?"  
  
"Muraki's love. Do you understand that he will never stop unless one of you is dead?"  
  
"So, you know about me."  
  
"I saw you from your window."  
  
"It stopped raining…"  
  
"Saito-san."  
  
"You knew that would happened. I don't blame you. It's just that I don't know what exactly I feel for her. Is it because of our link? Or just because of me? I don't know anymore. You were right, I don't know anymore where I start and where she ends."  
  
"I'm impressed…that's the longest speech I got from you…" Saito turned back to face the Elder and shot him a dirty look. But Kamuro only smiled back. "That, my young friend, is the core issue. If you don't find an answer, you won't be able to save her. And yourself in the meantime."  
  
At Saito's shocked expression, the First Elder's face softened.  
  
"He won't let stay alive after what you've done to Tokio. Kissing her like you did." Kamuro shook his head, smiling broadly. "That surely did piss him off. And plus, you managed to break completely his control on her. Even if it had lasted for minutes, or rather for the time of a kiss, you did break it. And what you did once, you can redo it." Kamuro stood up and stretched his limbs. "Ah, my old bones are screaming to get home."  
  
"You're not that old, are you?"  
  
"I am. There is a spell cast on me. Power never fades with age, it can old grow stronger but the body doesn't follow anymore. So the First Elder has to remain young, till his candle of life is over."  
  
"I suppose there is a price to pay."  
  
"There is always one. " Kamuro smiled sadly, before turning away to leave.  
  
Saito studied him for a long time before saying: "You were Arashi' s husband."  
  
Kamuro's shoulders dropped. "He was too small to actually remember me as his father." He whispered. Regret and sadness overwhelmed him. Regret that he never got the chance or the courage to tell his son who he real father was. How he met his mother and his love for her would last forever. Sadness for his grand-daughter who paid for her grand-parents faults... Regret on what he would have been able to possess but has never had the chance to. And when he turned around a last time to face Saito, the latter saw, for the first time, the First Elder real face. The one of an old man, wounded by the turning wheel of Fate but still standing up and hoping for a better fate for his descendants.  
  
"Goodbye, young man. Even those without power have a price to pay at the end for their gifts. Yours will be great but it only depends on you to keep my grand-daughter at your side forever."  
  
On these last words, the First Elder of the Magami Clan retreated and disappeared from Saito's sight.  
  
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Whaouh! It's finally over……… Gosh, I think I'll rewrite the kissing scene, I'm not satisfied with it. What do you think, minna? When you were reading it, did you feel like there was a butterfly in your chest? (If you don't know what I'm talking about, then read one of Anonym story on Tsuzuki/Hisoka relationship…. It so beautiful. It always make my heart ache for them….. I want to be as good as her, that's why your comments means so much to me! Thanks again, btw!)  
  
Now, see you in next part!!  
  
mikim 


	11. A sweet interlude

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"The Third Soul"  
  
Chapter 11: A sweet interlude  
  
Standard Disclaimers Apply.  
  
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Thoughtfully, Saito stared at the retreating back of the Magami Elder till he disappeared from his sight. Sighing, the young man bent his head and nervously ran a hand in his hair.  
  
"Even those without power have a price to pay at the end for their gifts. Yours will be great but it only depends on you to keep my grand-daughter at your side forever."  
  
Keep her at my side?  
  
The door he was leaning on slowly opened and Saito turned around to face her. His wife.  
  
"Whom were you talking to ?" Tokio asked, a towel on the head, drying her hair. Strands of hair were falling on her shoulders. She was only wearing a yukata as the night, after the rain was warm. Her eyes were puffy and red: she had been crying in her bath. Saito frowned at her puffy eyes, without saying a word he stared at her. Blushing, Tokio held up a hand to touch her swollen eyes and sputtered: "Ano… This is the first time in my life I've cried that much."  
  
Saito stared at her for a few minutes more, not saying anything yet. But his mind was running miles away: liar. He thought. You already have. But Saito kept silent , never taking his gaze off her face. Finally he broke eye contact before turning back and walking to the inn. "Let's get back inside."  
  
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.  
  
Saito led Tokio upstairs, gritting his teeth, the man didn't want to let her know his wound still pained him. The almost hour they had spent in the rain, sitting under the Sakura tree wasn't exactly the best medicine ever. Just as Tokio was about to climb up the flight of stairs, right behind Saito, one of Kagome's maids called Tokio, holding two food trays. The Miburo threw a glance above his shoulder and seeing only a kitchen girl, he went on, to his bedroom.  
  
"Here" Saito heard the girl say. "Kagome-san asked me to give you this." Okita was leaning against the wall, opposite to Saito's bedroom door. Without a word, the youngest threw a new bandage roll and pushed himself off the wall, disappearing in the corridor. Saito studied the younger man's back: it was stiff and when giving Saito his roll, he hadn't loosened his teeth for a little bit. Why was he angry now? Saito shrugged, stepping in his room. I bet, Kamuro put him in his right place.  
  
Tokio thanked the girl and went up, holding the trays carefully. Saito was waiting at the door, inside the room. He closed the door behind her as she set the trays down.  
  
A familiar feeling floated in the air. Tokio looked around before setting her sight on Saito, asking him silently who had been there. Saito sighed and sat carefully leaning on the wall in front of her, holding his right side. Concerned, Tokio approached him on her knees. She took the bandage from his hand as he removed his yukata.  
  
Focused on his wound, Tokio didn't even notice that she had to hug him to wrap the bandage around his ribs, but he did. Her dark head bent over him, a little frown of concentration, her mouth tight, the teasing touch of her hair on his skin like a butterfly touch, her warm hands on his wounds…  
  
Where did I lose it? Saito thought. Where? When I first looked in her eyes? How can she hold so much importance in my life, now? I barely know her for a couple of days…, which reminds me…  
  
Saito broke the silence:  
  
"I didn't remain all the time at your side." He stated. Tokio looked up, a bit startled by his question.  
  
"What?" She stopped her work, not understanding what he meant.  
  
"Kamuro-sama asked us to remain always together for the first two days." He explained.  
  
Tokio titled her head on her side: "I guess, since the link has gone stronger, that we needn't two days." She resumed her working. "Some people need more time, while others less. Two days is the usual standard."  
  
"Because linking two people souls is usual." He answered, ironic, making Tokio smile.  
  
"There, she said, I'm finished." She patted his arm slightly, gently. The moon behind her shone down on her, making her hair glow in a silver light. As usual, the wind blew around her, making a little of her hair caress his chest. She was looking up at him, smiling.  
  
Maybe it was because he kept on staring at her without saying anything or it surely was because, on her own, she suddenly realized how close they were sitting and how half naked he was, the two of them alone with only the moonlight to light up the room, that a sudden blush made up its way to her cheeks.  
  
Embarrassed, she hastily looked elsewhere and stood up. He followed her very movements with his steady eyes: why was he feeling disappointment when she had turned her head so abruptly? Was he expecting something else?  
  
Tokio settled herself in front of him: she placed one of the tray in front of him and took one for her, as Saito put his yukata back.  
  
Again, the feeling of someone close to her who had been sitting in this room teased her nerves.  
  
"Who came?" Saito looked up from his food and studied her: hands settled in her lap, long hair falling around her glowing in the moonlight, pale skin and rosy lips, her eyes were calm but he could also see a hint of sadness, hidden in her deep black pools. She was waiting for his answer. He took a sip of his tea and answered:  
  
"Kamuro."  
  
"Why did he come?"  
  
Saito remained silent. Should he or not tell her about Kamuro and his late wife? Should he be the one who explain this to her? On why did Muraki choose her 7 years ago?  
  
"Why won't you tell me?"  
  
"I'm not the one who should tell you this. This is not my secret but his."  
  
Tokio looked at him, lost. She then dropped her gaze to her meal but she wasn't hungry at all. The vision Muraki had sent her still bothered her, even though Saito protected her from the usual feeling of despair and loss when he had cut the link before Muraki could actually made her feel his joy, she still felt responsible for the man death. But she only felt responsible. At this realization, Tokio stopped her musings to concentrate on this odd feeling only. When did she start of being so heartless? Three girls and a man were dead because of her!  
  
Maybe she had taken more than Saito's protection… Then, if she had taken this from him, what had he taken from her? She wondered.  
  
He was eating his meal in silence. Lost in his thoughts, he never actually realized what he was eating, but it was warm and the taste pleased him. That was enough to satisfy him and so his mind wandered elsewhere. To her.  
  
Why was he so attached to that girl? What in her made her so special in his eyes? But what intrigued him more was if what he was feeling was because of him or because of the link?  
  
His bowl was empty and his stomach full. He put it back in the tray and looked up at the girl. She had remained extremely still and that was weird, now that he thought about it.  
  
Tokio hadn't touched her food. Eyes in the vague, she simply sat there, unmoving, frozen in her portion of time.  
  
"Tokio."  
  
His voice pulled her out of her musings. She went back in focus and looked at him.  
  
"What?" Her voice was dull but steady. Her reflections on herself had led her to something she didn't quite like: she was heartless. The word played in her mind, accusing her, surrounding her… heartless, heartless, heartless…  
  
"What's wrong?" Saito looked at her with guarded eyes: she was strange since she had stepped out of the bathroom. A man had been killed tonight, and oddly enough she hadn't actually reacted to it.  
  
She looked at him. "Why do you ask? It's not as if you care." With this, she stood up and walked to the door. But he reached her first: he grabbed her from behind and took her left wrist in his one of his hands while the other encircled her tiny waist and being so, crushed her back against his chest.  
  
"Now." He snarled in her ear, "What's the matter with you?"  
  
She struggled against him but he remained still. He gritted his teeth when her elbow hit him in his injured side but he couldn't stop a moan of pain escaped his lips.  
  
Hearing him moan in pain froze her. Indeed what was wrong with her? Leaning in Saito's embrace, Tokio detached herself from her body, analyzing her feelings and soul. What she found out scared her to death.  
  
Suddenly, Tokio froze in his embrace. Now what? He thought dryly. Still in pain, and rather glad that she had stopped fighting him, Saito put his cheek against hers. He sighed, just content on having her in his arms. A little voice in his head stated rather dryly how soft he had become with that girl at his side.  
  
"Help me…" the little voice sounded so in pain that it surprised him no tears were running down her face.  
  
"Tell me how." He whispered.  
  
"He's taking my soul over…" she whispered as quietly. "I don't know how much time I'll be able to stand up before him." Her voice was so weak and pained that it reminded him of the little girl's voice when he had promised to never leave her side.  
  
So, Muraki is having the upper hand. Finally, the deaths of her father and Guardian wore her a final blow… He's trying to control her soul.  
  
Saito sighed again and led her to her meal. He made her sit and settled himself behind her, legs on each side of her, leaning on the wall behind. She put her forehead in the hollow of his shoulder, seeking his warmth: she was shivering but not from the cold of the night, but from the one she felt in her soul. Not a word had been spoken.  
  
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Saito reached out for her bowl and gave it to her. She took it from his hands and looked up in his eyes as he said:  
  
"We'll resist together, but I need you to stay alive for that."  
  
Putting her head back against his neck, she nodded and said:  
  
"Then, itadakimasu."   
  
:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;  
  
After that Saito had forced Tokio to drink her tea, and that she had taken the tray downstairs while he was changing, the two of them settled in the sleeping futon, under the window. Saito was lying on his back while Tokio was leaning against him, her head in the hollow of his shoulder, one of her hand on his chest. She likes to put her head there… Saito thought, a bit amused. His hand was playing with her long hair: she had attached them in a loose braid, but Saito, without a word had freed the hair.  
  
"What happened?" he quietly asked.  
  
"I think he caught me. But you were there, as you promised." She whispered against his neck. She snuggled closer to him as the wind blew on them lightly.  
  
"Hum…" was all he could say. Maybe that could happen again, he thought, I have to find that bloody bastard really soon or I'll lose her.  
  
"Say, what…what about the man…" She took a deep breath. "The man we saw."  
  
"Okita is on patrol tonight, he'll tell us tomorrow." He squeezed her gently.  
  
A flip caught his eyes: at the window still a great black bird landed. Tokio extended a hand to it and the bird shook his head in denial as if it refused her offer of comfort.  
  
"It's Toya." She whispered to Saito. "He's in pain… He thinks he's not ready to be the Head Clan…" Her soft face saddened in the moonlight. Slowly, she kneeled in the bed and opened her arms to the bird. Again, it cried out and refused. Defeated and hurt, she dropped her arms and said to the bird:  
  
"Onii-chan, gomen nasai." The bird flew further in the room and landed next to the futon. "But, remember your own words: if you let Fright govern your heart, you'll fall into the endless night of madness. You have to be strong to let hope and your inner strength enlighten your future. That's what you told me. Onii-chan…" her voice trailed off, tears coming to her eyes.  
  
And the bird that was her brother took it flight again and came closer to his sister. It rubbed its head against her cheek and with a last cry, flew out of the window and disappeared in the night.  
  
Tokio watched it go away and fell on Saito. The latter groaned at her sudden move, making her giggle. She moved again and settled herself back in her previous position, before her brother arrival. Saito looked down at her and brushed a hand across her cheek.  
  
She took his hand in hers and said "Don' t worry, I'm done crying now. I have enough of this for the next ten years." She giggled a little and he actually smiled gently to her. A tear made its way down her cheek but he swept it away. And if she didn't notice it, it won't be he who will tell her. Saito decided, still smiling.  
  
He put her head in the hollow of his shoulder and played once more in her hair. She started humming under her breath the song she had sang in the afternoon and this lulled Saito to sleep.  
  
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.  
  
The feeling of the sun on his face woke him up. Saito groaned in the bright light and cracked an eye open. The sun was still low on the horizon and no sound could be heard from the house. Everyone was still asleep. Saito had always been a early riser because this moment of peace and silence was his favorite moment of the day, when nobody could trouble him, when nothing could touch him. Something warm, pressed against his side groaned in disapproval when he moved to rest on his uninjured side: Tokio. Saito was now facing her, leaning on his left elbow, he studied her: her hair was shielding her from the light, falling on her face. But some hair was pestering her nose, making it itch in the most uncomfortable way. She raised a finger and rubbed her nose, trying to relieve the itch. Saito pushed her hair aside. The sunlight hit her in the face making her frown, she opened her eyes and blinked several times before remembering where she was. She looked up at him, drowsily, and a smile played on her lips.  
  
"Ohayo." she whispered. He nodded to her and she moved closer to him, rubbing her nose against his neck. He put an arm behind her back to support her and the two fell back on the futon.  
  
They waited until the first noises to get up. Nothing had been said but Tokio had hummed the same song for him, while he had played in her hair. He headed to the bathroom while Tokio dressed up for the day. A light purple kimono with pink flowers and a purple obi, she was combing her hair. This was how Saito found her when he walked back in their room. She smiled to him and while she tied up her hair in a high ponytail with her red string, she asked him:  
  
"Have you change your bandage? Do you want me to do it?"  
  
A wife. My wife. How strange… It feels natural to see her wake up, get dress, inquiring after my wounds…  
  
"Hajime? You okay?" Tokio asked. She waved her hand in front of his face: he had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't realized she had walked closer to him. Startled, the man shook his head:  
  
"Aa, it's alright, I've already changed it."  
  
They exited the room and went downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs, they met Kagome-san, holding plenty of food trays.  
  
"Ohayo, Kagome-san!" Tokio greeted cheerfully. She had taken a great like of the elder woman: she felt like having a aunt.  
  
"Ah, ohayo, Tokio-chan, Saito-san." Kagome answered, smiling. The girl seemed to be much better than the night before. Good.  
  
Saito merely nodded to Kagome while Tokio asked her: "Do you need some help, Kagome-san? I'd like to help you!"  
  
Kagome threw a glance at Saito but the man, behind his wife, nodded again, and turned to the corner restricted to the Captains of the ShisenGumi Squads. Brr… That man's scary! Kagome thought, following him with her eyes. She turned her eyes back to the Miburo' s wife. How come a sweet girl like her can be married to him? The little girl was still smiling, expectant. Kagome sighed and let herself be contaminated by the girl cheerfulness.  
  
"Alright, Tokio-chan, go to the kitchen and tell Arashi-chan you'll help her today."  
  
"HAI!" Tokio ran to the kitchen, while Kagome shook her head at her behavior.  
  
Arashi was more than happy to have some help. She gave Tokio 3 trays and took 3 for herself. The girls, then, headed to the restaurant and were chatting happily. Arashi led Tokio to the Captains corner as the girl put it and opened the panel. As Tokio stepped in, a heavy silence fell on the room. Uncomfortable, Tokio greeted the Captains while they all studied her. Okita waved discretely at her and she managed to smile at him. Even Arashi was feeling awkward. Harada grinned at the girls. Arashi kneeled to place the trays in front of the men and Tokio followed her, trying to copy at best her friend movements, but she couldn't help shivering under the heavy gazes she was receiving.  
  
She sent a mental plea at Saito, but she only felt his amusement back. She felt her anger rising at the damn man and he took a sip from his tea cup to hide his smile. "So, you are Saito's woman, ne? You look sane, though." Tokio, outraged, turned to the man she had been placing a tray in front of. He was grinning madly at her. Tokio was about to sent a tea cup in the man's face when Saito's chuckle stopped her. Still kneeling, she turned around to look at him.  
  
"Sane enough for me, yes. But, tell me Shimada, aren't you still single?" A feral smile on his lips, Saito looked defiantly at the other man.  
  
This time, Okita laughed and Harada grinned madly at Tokio while the man, Shimada, sputtered about the amount of work or whatever. Tokio stood up, smiling and blushing. Arashi on the heels, the girls left the room to bring the rest of the trays. They laughed on their way back to the kitchen and Arashi teased Tokio all the way back.  
  
Saito waited until the chatter in the Captains room began again. He was sitting next to Okita and Harada, accordingly to his place as the Captain of the Third Squad of the ShisenGumi. Kondo wasn't far from them.  
  
"Say, haven't you found one of our men dead, last night?" he asked Okita.  
  
"No. I don't think so." The younger man answered thoughtfully.  
  
"Muraki took one of our men, last night." Saito waited a moment to let the information set in when Harada said:  
  
"This means he can take one of the ShisenGumi looks."  
  
The men fell silent for a moment and thought of the possible consequences of Muraki's new move. Saito broke the silence asking Okita and Harada: "What did Kamuro tell you last night?"  
  
"To watch our own businesses." Harada bitterly answered. He was still mad at the Elder order. First he had been left behind to the Temple battle and now that!  
  
"He forbid me and Harada to help you until midnight tonight. In fact, he told us to avoid Tokio-chan as much as possible until midnight. He said her life depended on." Okita said, completing his friend explanation.  
  
So that's why he was mad last night, Saito thought.  
  
"I don't see how, though." Harada almost pouted. Saito rolled his eyes at his behavior, murmuring "moron" under his breath. He couldn't insult one of the Captains in front of Kondo, after all.  
  
"You'd better obey. Kamuro Magami isn't a man to set without thinking." Kondo stated, he glared at Harada for his foolish behavior until the young man bent his head and nodded.  
  
Tokio and Arashi came back at this very moment and Saito watched her: if Kamuro had forbidden Okita and Harada to be around her until tonight, then it's to protect her from the sight of Muraki killing one of them in front of her. Tonight, Muraki will come out for my head… Saito smiled. At last, he's getting out of his lair. To take a so forward move… maybe he realizes that I can break his control over her. It's only a matter of time for that. He must feel cornered… The best part of a hunt…  
  
:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:  
  
Hey! One chapter to go!! And it's over!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whaou! I can't believe I actually went that far!! Well, minna-san, this all thanks to you! Hey, there's a side-story planned for this fic. Just an idea that blurted out last night… Hehehehhehhehehehehe I may even write a sequel… Or maybe no… well, we'll see! I'd like to put Kenshin, Kaoru and the others in the sequel, but I don't have a clear idea of it yet… Anyway, I have to finish this one first! Thanks again for reviewing!  
  
hey, Blacksakura, I hope I didn't make you wait too long! Gomen for last time [I mean for the huge gap between chapter 7 and 8. I had a writer block! But, everything settled now!] * grin * . BTW I tried to mail you to thank you, but your mail's box full!  
  
Ketsuki: I hope you found my explanations about the names clear… If not, then, I'm sorry… Maybe I should put this fic under the crossover section as you put it… Oh, well, we'll see! I hope you liked the kissing scene… ^_^ I'm thinking of rewriting it, but not now, maybe later when I'll have a little more experience on writing;;; yes, this is my first fic!  
  
Sher: Thank you!! Your reviews helped me a lot!!!!!!  
  
And the others: Swordskill, Hajime, RM, Nekonomiko, Sabacat, J.Liha, JK, Mara and Lys003. THANK YOU A LOT!!!!!  
  
I may be wrong, but I think Tomoe was holding 3 trays when helping at the inn, no?  
  
Itadakimasu: I think this means "enjoy your meal" or something like that. Anyway, it's said before starting eating.  
  
Stay tuned for the last part!!  
  
mikim 


	12. The promise

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"The Third Soul"  
  
Chapter 12: The promise.  
  
Standards Disclaimers Apply  
  
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The day came and went so fast that Tokio didn't realize it until the sunset. She had been sweeping the main porch when a bird cried out, causing her to look up and she finally saw the sunset… The sunset, it held so many memories… She leaned on her broom, gazing at the majestic star of the day. Another day… I've survived another day… Sighing profoundly, she walked away, leaving her broom in the kitchen closet, she quickly made her way to her room, and waiting for something she dreaded to happen.  
  
Will he tonight?  
  
She unfolded the futon and loosened her obi. Lying down, under the window, she gazed the fading blue of the sky. Slowly, she watched it turning blazing orange, then warm purple; she could almost see the first stars…  
  
The door slid open and Saito stepped inside. Tokio turned her head to face him. He stood in the doorway, hard face, whose traits have been sculpted by the wind itself. The Wind. Her major element, the one who had advised her to ask for the Wolves assistance. The only wolves in whole Kyoto were the ShisenGumi. And who better than a man nicknamed Miburo, wolf of Mibu, to represent the Wolves the wind talked about. For the two days, they have spent together, Saito Hajime, Captain of the Third Squad of the ShisenGumi has protected her, held her, giving his own strength and some of his blood for her.  
  
Why? Because his faith was stronger than anything in the world. Aku. Zoku. San. She had tried earlier to understand how he could believe his death would actually serve his faith, but she had failed.  
  
He had agreed on linking his very soul to hers… He also had accepted to pretend being her husband… He had given her so much and she? What did he receive from her, apart her troubles and a new lethal enemy… Oh, she knew him. Better than anyone perhaps. But she only knew. She still didn't understand him.  
  
She knew about his childhood, him being the only son of an old samurai family. His father wanted him to be the strongest. His training under his own father's sword. His blood splashing the ground as his father, angry for a wrong move, inflicted him a severe correction. His mother, weak and so beautiful, crying at her only son wounds, but too weak to stop her husband. His torn hands. His fiery golden eyes, so much like his father. His sisters he tried to protect from his father. His biggest sister smiling softly to him and kissing his cheek. His other sister holding him in her arms as she took him to the market with her. Their happy faces on their wedding days, but he had cried on these days because his sisters were leaving him alone. Him, alone, in the family dojo, as he had no friend to share this place with.  
  
And then, his dying father, lying at his feet, who congratulated his son for killing him, his father, the horrified shriek of his sisters. His mother, killing herself, behind the shoji and him not fast enough to stop her from cutting her own throat. His sisters crying around him. He was 16 and has just killed his father, leading his mother to suicide and himself to the infinite darkness, which were now his world.  
  
A warm calloused hand placed her on cheek jerked her from her musings on him: he had removed his outer light blue hakama and his katana was lying against the wall.  
  
Lost in her own world, Tokio didn't see him coming closer and kneeling on the futon, calling her name softly. She didn't see it until he put his hand on her face.  
  
"Where were you?"  
  
She looked up at him, staring at him, at his golden eyes. Eyes, which fascinated her. She knew his eyes could hold the warmth of the sun but could also destroy anyone with its fiery angry flame that burnt sometimes. Now, the usual ironic flame was replaced by one she dared not to name… Could it be?  
  
The words blurted out of her lips before she could stop them:  
  
"Why did you kill your father?"  
  
Saito's eyes widened, surprised and shocked. As if she had slapped him, he suddenly jumped backwards. Tokio cursed herself for her own careless words but didn't dare to look up at him: she could only remember the last time she had talked about his parents and the violent reaction that had followed. She leaned on a elbow, head bent, waiting for the outburst but nothing came. She risked a glance at him and found him, sitting a few feet from her, looking at his hands.  
  
"Because he tried to kill me."  
  
Tokio immediately felt guilty and tried to apologize. "Hajime… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…"  
  
His raw voice cut her pitiful attempt to make up things. "I hated him. I still do, I think." Tokio fell silent, she knew that there was more things to be said. Saito was still looking at his hands. "After that my sisters got married, since I was the last child, he started to train me. He would beat me up if I did one move wrong. I remember my mother's cries when she would try to stop my father at the beginning. But she only tried for the first few weeks, after she let the matter drop. I think that my father would hit her at night that's why she never tried again after. When I was 16, he decided that I was old enough and he tried to kill me. He was the first man I ever killed." Tokio bit her lower lip hard, getting on her knees, she placed her hands in his. He closed his long fingers around hers and squeezed them gently. He got on his knees and moved closer to her, an ironic flame burning in his eyes.  
  
"What have you done to me?" he whispered huskily, his mouth a few inches from hers.  
  
"I…I…" Tokio spluttered, not knowing what to do or say, as she was hypnotized by his eyes.  
  
Hearing her splutter, made Saito smile with pure male pride, erasing the pain that his childhood always brought back and he kissed her, pushing her back on the futon.  
  
Saito pushed some of Tokio hair away from her face. He gazed down at her pretty features as she laid down in his arms. They were curled in the futon, Saito's arms wrapped loosely around her. Both of them fully awake, looking in each other eyes.  
  
Waiting.  
  
Waiting for something they knew was coming, staring at each other. They didn't have to wait for a long time: clouds came running, covering the last rays of the sun, erasing the last traces of color, covering the city in its blackness. Heavy drops fell on the ground, each harder than the one before and soon nothing could be heard but the rain. Wind howled in the streets as a starving wolf. And he attacked.  
  
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Saito threw himself on his wife, falling heavily on Tokio, putting all his strength in his arms, he tried to hold her down as she screamed and shook with pain. The pain he felt too. He too could see the rain turning red, when Muraki stabbed for another time his victim, but not in one of her vital points. Oh, no, if Muraki hit the girl in one of her vital points, she'd die instantly! Oh, sure she was going to die, but not that fast! It'd be too easy and Tokio-chan had to pay, to be hurt to remember how to obey her master. And that damn wolf, he'd be the next!  
  
Saito gritted his teeth against the pain, thinking that it was nothing compared to what Tokio was enduring, she was still holding him back: he felt her pain, but she wouldn't allow herself to drown herself in Saito and let all her pain wash over him as it did with her. She couldn't even cry, anguished cries only escaped her lips to be drown by the rain, moans and incoherent words of mercy also punctuated the assault.  
  
She was kicking something away with all her might, struggling against Saito's hold, sometimes trying to vanish under him, as if she knew he would protect her. Then it stopped.  
  
:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:  
  
Tokio fell lifelessly against the futon and Saito collapsed on her, breathing heavily in her ear. Her senses, slowly, painfully, came back to her. She started to feel again her own body, her legs, arms, wrists captured in an iron cage. Hajime. She rested her cheek against his, listening to her heartbeat and his. Both hearts next to one another as he laid on top of her, beating the same rhythm of life. But for how long? Then, she cried, silently, softly.  
  
Outside, a bird cried out and a wolf howled to death. They had both heard Muraki's last threat.  
  
:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:  
  
"SAITO!" The door flung open, revealing the Captains of the 1st and 2nd Squad of the ShisenGumi. Both men stopped dead in their tracks at the sight that greeted them: the Captain of the Third Squad of the ShisenGumi, lying on top of a woman, who was supposed to be his wife. Saito's face was buried in his wife neck, his hands still holding down her wrists above her head, while her face was turned in Saito's direction. Two burning golden eyes, in the midnight of her black hair falling on both of them, were glaring at the other two men, under Tokio's chin.  
  
"Are we interrupting something?" Harada asked.  
  
"Baka!" Okita whacked him on the back of his head, while Tokio slowly turned her eyes to them: empty. No word could describe her usually vivid eyes more. Her eyes, as black as the night, were emptied of any emotion, startled the young men. Okita gritted his teeth, a line of red blood was running down her chin.  
  
Saito slowly, as if he was exhausted, raised to a kneeling position, looking intensely at her face. She had turned her head back to him when he had started to move. Expressionless, she let him brush away the last traces of tears off her eyes and brush her blood away.  
  
"You should stop biting your lower lip." Saito stated, emotionless too.  
  
"Harada, fetch Kagome-san, tell her Tokio-chan's ill and she needs her assistance." Okita directed Harada and after pushing him outside, stepped outside the room too and waited for Saito to join him.  
  
The latter stood up slowly and followed by Tokio's eyes, made his way out of the room. He closed the door behind him, leaning on it, he waited for Okita to begin.  
  
"The news of the death of Shigekura has spread out. We don't know how. Kondo wants us to be in patrol tonight, movement of fears have been detected near the east door." Okita quickly said.  
  
Kagome came running in the stairs, followed by Harada, she pushed Saito aside and went in, closing the door abruptly behind her.  
  
"Pff! She's worse that my mother!!" Harada joked. Both Okita and Saito glared at Harada who held both hands up in defense.  
  
Okita turned back to Saito: "Shigekura's death was only known by the highest members of the government and we were in duty to avoid the information to go out. So…"  
  
"So, there's a traitor in the ShisenGumi." Saito cut Okita and a smile slowly appeared on his lips. "Then, he's finally moving… But why that fast?"  
  
"Saito? Care to explain?" Harada frowned at Saito, when the latter sighed heavily.  
  
"Ahou ga. Remember, someone took someone else place in our troops."  
  
"Muraki." Okita looked thoughtful.  
  
Saito nodded and kept on. "He must have killed a man from my unit."  
  
"Maybe not. Why would he want to have a place so close to you, knowing certainly you're looking for him? I mean, if he belonged to another unit, he could move easier than with you on his back." Okita interjected.  
  
"I'm the next on his list." Silence followed.  
  
Harada scratched his chin, he, too, was trying to figure out Muraki's next move. "Hmm, so he could stick around you, without attracting the attention and wait for the perfect occasion to jump at your throat."  
  
"That sounds too easy, even Ahou ga here managed to understand. He's more intelligent than that. He must be planning something."  
  
"You'd better stay here, tonight, no?" Harada let the insult pass, they had better things to worry about that a stupid name calling game.  
  
"Oh, no. Better let him believe I didn't see anything coming. Whatever the rest of his plan is, I'd found out." Saito's smile widened. Then a thought crossed his mind, erasing completely his smile. "But, what annoys me is that she stays here, without protection."  
  
Saito stared at the closed door, as if he could see through. Okita and Harada looked at each other, looking for a solution, but Kamuro Magami had forbidden them to be around Tokio till midnight.  
  
"Hey, Okita, Kondo-sama still waiting for us." Harada reminded his younger friend.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Well gotta go."  
  
Saito nodded and watched them go away, waiting in front of his bedroom door. The pounding rain sounded more than ever dreadful.  
  
Harada and Okita were walking towards Kondo's office, next to his bedroom, in front of the garden, at the first floor of the inn. "He has changed. Before, he wouldn't have cared a damn about her."  
  
Okita nodded, not really listening to Harada.  
  
"What's wrong with you? You haven't smiled or laughed at any of my jokes today. Am I losing my touch?" Harada smirked trying to lighten up the mood… Tokio's empty eyes still seemed to linger around him.  
  
Okita stopped and glared at Harada, who sighed and slapped his forehead with his right hand, as comprehension dawned. "Oh, no. Don't tell me the interdiction still bothers you! Now, Saito turns sentimental. Okita without his annoying little smile! My! What did that girl do to us all?"  
  
Surprised, Okita's eyes widened. He hadn't realized anything but Harada saw. Okita turned his gaze to a flower, nearby, which was drowning under the heavy rain. "She changed him. She changed us all." He murmured.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"…That whoever ever crossed the path of a Magami will see his life change from point to point…"  
  
Say, Saito, the old woman who told you that was right, ne?  
  
"Nothing." Okita walked away, his long gone smile, coming back to his lips. Harada ran to catch up with him and slapped his back when he saw his friend smile, laughing hard.  
  
"Now, that's the Okita I know! Come on! Tonight, we'll cut some Ishin down! That sounds damn fun!!!"  
  
:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:  
  
"Now, Saito-san. I want to know what happened to this child."  
  
Saito glared at the older woman: Kagome had just stepped out Tokio's room, mad, and stood defiantly in front of the door, preventing Saito to get in.  
  
"I'm not letting you in until you tell me what happened to her!" She put her fists on her hips and waited for his answer.  
  
Saito narrowed his eyes, the less people involved the better. But, now that Muraki was in the inn, the whole inhabitants were, unknown to them, risking their lives every moment. What if the dumb bastard lost sanity and decided to play around? For what he had felt earlier, during Muraki's attack, Saito had been unable to break Tokio and Muraki's link because of the intense turmoil of emotions Muraki had let pass through him to Tokio and Saito.  
  
Muraki clearly was now a madman. But a clever one. The most dangerous type of killer.  
  
"What if he loses sight of where ends the truth and where begins the illusion?" Indeed, what if? Did you know it, Kamuro, that Muraki would be so obsessed by Tokio that he would lose his sanity? Did you?  
  
Saito shook his head, startling Kagome who wasn't expecting an answer: for her, Saito was a cold-blooded murderer, no need to hide the truth, and for what she knew about him, she had expected him to glare down at her, push her aside without a word and get in the room.  
  
"I can't." His deep, rash voice for an instant, at Kagome's ears, covering the sound of the rain. "Since the secret is not mine." Saito stared at Kagome, waiting for her answer, but he wouldn't tell her more.  
  
Kagome's shoulder dropped as she looked at his hard face. His golden eyes, waiting for her answer, flickered with a determined flame: he wouldn't tell her more. Kagome sighed softly, sadly and head bent, walked away, under Saito's gaze. He turned back to the door, and when he was about to open it, Kagome's voice froze his breathing system.  
  
"Whatever she's facing, she's in love with you. Madly. She doesn't even realize it but she will soon. Don't hurt her, I've never seen a so pure heart."  
  
Hand on the door panel, Saito turned to watch Kagome walk downstairs. He took a deep breath and walk inside.  
  
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.  
  
Tokio opened her eyes as he kneeled besides her. Kagome had made her change into her sleeping yukata. She knew he had stepped in the room but she only acknowledged his presence when she felt him near. She was curled in a tiny ball, lying on her side, facing the door. The floor, under the window, was already drenched.  
  
"What happened?" She whispered.  
  
"Shigekura, Vice-Governor of Kyoto had been murdered last night."  
  
"Oh… Yes."  
  
Saito frowned but Tokio had rolled on her back, sighing deeply, and closed her eyes. Saito stared at her and then stood up.  
  
"Are you going out?" she asked.  
  
"Yes. Movements of fear have been reported."  
  
"Be careful." She looked up at him and for a long time, they only stared at each other, drowning at the other sight.  
  
Saito turned away, took his katana and his light blue outer hakama and left the room. Tokio closed her eyes and sleep claimed her.  
  
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.  
  
Mine.  
  
Got it?  
  
Mine!  
  
You'll never have her!  
  
NEVER!!  
  
Not even in three lifetimes!  
  
Out of my way!  
  
Mine!  
  
MINE!  
  
MINE!  
  
Tokio sat up abruptly in her bed, breathing hard, cold sweat running down her spine. Eyes wide, she put a shaking hand on her throat as the words she overheard in her nightmare played around her, taunting her, tempting her, hurting her... She was shivering, she drew her knees under her chin and hugged them, with trembling arms. It wasn't only a nightmare. She knew the voice but couldn't put a name on it. Somebody close to her had been screaming in her dreams. Wind blew in the bedroom, attracting her attention to the window: pitch black. The moon was hidden behind the dark, heavy clouds. It had stopped raining but a cold wind was blowing through the city streets. Thunder roared in the distant, sending cold goose bumps down her spine. The moon suddenly appeared from behind its dark curtain and Tokio was sent in another emotional turmoil: there was a halo around the moon. A halo around the moon. It only had one meaning. Only one.  
  
A halo around the moon…  
  
Death for someone close to her heart.  
  
Thunder roared another time and lightings lit up the skies. The world went upside down, spinning, spinning and spinning faster and faster than never before. Someone she loved was about to die. Love… Die… Love… Die… Die… Lighting hit the city once, startling her, blazing the city into a golden, angry flame. The moon disappeared again behind the clouds. Tokio, frightened and cold, stood up and walked closer to the window. The floor under her feet was cold and wet, she leaned on the windowsill, waiting. Waiting for something that would tell her where to go to protect her loved one. Her hands tightened on the windowsill until the knuckles were white.  
  
Hope it's not…  
  
Lighting lit up the skies again, and the streets in the meantime. Right under Tokio's window, just outside, was a wolf, with a white stain on the chest staring up at the window and the animal golden eyes pierced her heart.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Since he had stepped out of the room, a question has been nagging Saito: Why hadn't he been able to break Muraki's control like the time before?  
  
He and Okita, followed by their men were walking down a wet street, patrolling, inspiring the general sentiment of fear in the people's heart. It had stopped raining but a cold wind was turning around them.  
  
Saito looked around him: his men were walking in perfect order, their swords clearly in view, nobody talked. Okita had his little smile back and was looking around him as if nothing could happen, that it was just a normal night patrol. As usual, Saito parted from his men, that was his mark and his men knew it: whenever there was a patrol, Saito would disappear alone in the night to hunt down whatever he was running after.  
  
But he was a wolf and wolves always come back to the pack.  
  
As Saito walked alone in the city streets, worry and doubt started to plague his heart. What if Okita was right, what if Muraki wasn't in his unit. What if he wanted to get Tokio first and then kill him. But it made no sense: for what he had seen and felt, Tokio with his protection was strong enough to resist him for now. Sure thing, if Saito didn't kill Muraki soon, she'll need some extra help but… Saito gritted his teeth. It's too late to doubt and  
  
A cold wind hit him as if a wave was slapping him in the face. And the world changed.  
  
Saito looked around him in surprise: he was in his family dojo where he hadn't put a foot in since… Saito withdrew his katana from its saya and waited. Footsteps made him turn around to face his mother.  
  
His mother… She was as beautiful as in his memories: her light brown hair and gentle warm chocolate eyes. Her petite frame and perfect face made her look like a china doll. A broken doll if he remembered correctly: his mother had slid her throat open after that he, her very son, had killed her husband, his own father. Dead, she was dead already. That was just one of Muraki's trick. A smile came to his lips.  
  
"You should have pick up someone else from my past, you know."  
  
The woman in front of him chuckled lightly.  
  
"Really? Why?" Her sweet voice made Saito remember his time as a child, when his mother was still happy and carefree, before his father became obsessed with his training.  
  
"My mother was a good woman. But weak."  
  
"Oh, I see. I thought it could help me to destabilize you…looks like I was wrong." She smiled.  
  
"How could you take her looks? I thought you could take only the people you had killed." Saito looked at the woman, curious.  
  
"Well, we're not in the real world, you may have noticed. We're in my illusion and here I'm whatever I want to be."  
  
"So since it didn't work, why don't you show me your real face? I'd like to see the face of the man I'm about to kill."  
  
"How nice, Saito-san."  
  
The woman that was Muraki passed her hand in front of her face and vanished. Saito spun around, trying to locate him. Damn it! Where was that son of a bitch?  
  
"if you wish to see through the illusion then, you'll see reality."  
  
Tokio…  
  
Saito gritted his teeth, it wasn't a place to remember. He firmly set his mind on his goal and pushed his memories at the back of his mind, where he had always buried them, far enough not to always burst in but not far enough for him to forget completely and concentrated on his enemy: Tokio had said to wish, to make his will bent under his wish, goal to see through the illusion, to see reality.  
  
On the left.  
  
Saito, just in time, dodged Muraki's katana aiming at his head, breaking in the meantime the illusion: the dojo, around them, shattered as if it only was a sand castle a child had just kicked in. Saito broke the contact and stepped backwards quickly and studied his opponent: Muraki was a young man around 25, his hair were silver and his blue orbs looked like the clear sky of a happy summer day. No wonder why Tokio couldn't see or remember his face: Muraki was way too unique, and so, too easy to find.  
  
Muraki lured himself at Saito, yelling:  
  
"She's mine! MINE! I've suffered too much, now it's my turn to have the light! It's not fair: why should only the Magami possess the light? Why not us? Not me? Why? If I make her mine, then I'll gain some light! Her light! I want her! She keeps me sane, I love her! I want her! She's mine, mine, mine! Mine. Got it? Mine! You'll never have her! NEVER!! Not even in three lifetimes! Out of my way! Mine! MINE! MINE!"  
  
Saito blocked his attacks and avoided his blows, listening to his opponent speech. Pity touched his heart.  
  
He thinks he loves her. No, he turned his obsession into love. He wants to hold her and have her "light", he wants her to love him... That's why he killed her mother and took mine appearance. The loss of his mother drove him to the edge but it's Tokio's refusal to let herself own by him that sent him over.  
  
"Why did they choose you? Of all people, the closest to the darkness after me, was, is you! So why? I don't understand! Why didn't they pick up that boy from the Ishin? He, I could have easily broke him down! Why you? Why? Why? Why? Tokio! Tokio! Tokio!"  
  
Muraki dropped to his knees and took his head in his hands, in pain. Saito watched him, silently, unmoving. Why me, indeed?  
  
Still hugging his head, Muraki murmured just loud enough to Saito to hear: "How could you cut our connection? I was about to have her! How did you manage to do it? She was about to embrace my darkness and I was more than ready for her light, but you came along and took her away from me! How? How? I want to know! Was it Kamuro who told you how? You, a man without power, how could you?"  
  
That's true… I broke his connection with Tokio, but only once. I failed the last time… Tokio, did you realize it? That I managed to do it, only because it pained me to see you cry because I…  
  
Muraki suddenly stood up, crying, eyes full of hatred and resuming his attacking on Saito, yelling and crying.  
  
"How dare you! How dare you to call for my woman? How dare you? I'll kill you!!!" His movements, completely erratic, surprised Saito by their force and rapidity. Muraki now possessed a madman's strength. Saito gritted his teeth and dodged his attacks but barely. Suddenly, he felt claws laboring his back. He cried out in pain and jumped aside, just in time to avoid being stab in the stomach. Muraki laughed madly, tears still falling from his eyes. He was murmuring words under his breath, words that Saito couldn't understand.  
  
Saito froze in horror as he understood: as Muraki was losing himself, he was losing his control over his power, like his movements, his magic was bound to become erratic. How could he, a man without power, resist this kind of attacks?  
  
……………………………………………  
  
Tokio turned around from the window and ran to the door, she almost fell in the stairs as she was trying to go down as fast as she could. She slammed the kitchen door open, surprising Kagome and Arashi who were still cleaning it, and ran outside, without hearing Kagome and Arashi' s calls for her. She opened the garden gate and looked frantically around for the wolf. It came, walking casually, to her and after a short bark, turned around and started to run. Tokio quickly followed, running bare foot, at night, under a storm to a man she barely knew because he was the one closest to her heart.  
  
Small drops fell on the ground.  
  
……………………………………………  
  
The wolf led her to a small alley, near the East Door but Saito was nowhere in sight. How could she find him? The last time she came to this part of the town she was barely 7. Panting and wet, Tokio suddenly felt so scared and frightened that she wished for a moment to disappear under the next rock. The wolf stroke his head against her leg, Tokio stared down at it and dropped to her knees, hugging the wolf.  
  
"I'm sorry, I was being selfish. I'm coming. I'm scared but I don't want to lose you because you are so important to me, so please, wait for me. Hajime."  
  
The wolf licked her cheeks, making her smile and vanished in the night. Tokio stood up and summoned her bird. It landed on her extended arm:  
  
"Please, my friend, take your flight and help me to find Hajime."  
  
The bird cried once and flew away. By its eyes, Tokio looked for the Miburo. A spell caught her attention, the bird aimed at it, as fast as it could, it entered the spell structure and destroyed it, allowing Tokio to step in the illusion.  
  
.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.  
  
It felt like it was the wind itself that had turned into a blade, hundred of blades, cutting his flesh, drinking his blood, pinning him to what was supposed to be the floor. Then it stopped. Saito, lying on the floor, coughed some blood and tried to sit up. Leaning on one elbow, he saw Muraki on his knees, shivering, holding his head, suddenly, he jerked his head behind, his mouth open as if he was yelling. But no sound escaped his lips. The man suddenly collapsed on the floor. Saito tried to stand up, groaning and cursing. Soft hands reached him from behind, warmth invaded him. Tokio. He turned around a little: her wide eyes were focused on Muraki. It was the second time that she met him. The first one, Death caressed her and almost brought her over, but her mother took her place.  
  
Tokio swallowed hard and started to shake. She gritted her teeth against the fear and put her arm around Saito's waist. Saito nodded to her and she led him out the illusion.  
  
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:  
  
Saito groaned as Tokio made him lean against the opposite wall. She looked frightened and cold, her hair were falling around her, much like a curtain, shielding her. Her wet yukata hugged her figure a little too much for Saito's comfort, so he dropped his gaze to the ground and noticed her bare feet.  
  
She must have been in a hurry to go out in this state of dress. Saito smiled lazily. He felt like falling towards the ground.  
  
A warm hand rested against his cheek.  
  
"Hajime? Daijoubu ka?"  
  
Saito looked up at her face. She was worried and scared, frightened by the amount of blood he was losing: her eyes kept on drifting between his wounds and his face.  
  
"Please…" she whispered, coming closer to him, she rested her head against his uninjured shoulder and Saito placed his right arm around her waist. "Don't die… Not here… Not now… I… I… Hajime, I need to tell you… I…" She jerked from his embrace and put her hands on his shoulders. "Please, hang on, I'm going for some help. Please."  
  
She turned around and ran. But a white hand grabbed her.  
  
"Where were you going, my love?"  
  
"Ah… No, no… Please… Let me go…" Tokio fought against the silver man, she couldn't look at his face. Fear was freezing her from inside.  
  
Saito groaned and pushed himself off the wall, tightening his grip on his katana, still in his right hand, as if it was part of his body. Despite his deep wound in his back and his wound on his side, which had reopened, his steps were steady and his hold on his sword was firm.  
  
The wolf, even deadly wounded, had to protect what was his.  
  
It didn't matter anymore if what he was feeling for that little girl was because of the link that they shared. No, what was important now, was that someone he loved was about to be taken away from him, the Miburo couldn't stand it, no, he couldn't let happen to her what had happened to his father and mother, he recognized it: despite all that his father caused him, he still loves him perhaps he had never stopped to.  
  
Saito shook his head, trying to clear his mind: he would try to find out for his feelings later, when this matter would be settled, when he would have some time to know her more, not because of their link but because of the time they would spend together, when he would have the guts to tell her how much importance she had taken in his life, when he would have time to clear up things with his disarranged feelings about himself, his father and Tokio.  
  
::::::::::::::::::::~::::::::::::::::::::~::::::::::::::::::::  
  
"He has changed." Atsuko stated. She was surrounded by trees, looking down in the pool at her feet.  
  
"No, he's simply grown." Kamuro, besides her, answered, smiling. He, too, was looking in the water, where three people could be seen.  
  
"What's the difference?"  
  
"Hajime Saito killed one of his loved ones in the past, causing the death of his mother and the sorrow of his sisters. He felt like a weight for those who knew him because of who he was, because of what he was, so he went away. To let the others have a 'normal' life like they had before, he embraced the shadows. Now, he has someone to protect, someone that he loves. He loves again: Tokio has taught him how to love again. He's accepted what he was and who he was. This is called growing up: that's all the difference in the world, my dear." The man stayed silent for some time before sighing deeply. "Poor thing. Muraki still refuses to let the gift mark him as one of us."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"Of course not. You and I would never really understand him. I think the only person who could actually understand him is the Miburo. See, Muraki was born with the power, like us, as his father and mother. But, due to a painful experience from his childhood, he rejected his gift, to protect himself. He threw the gift away. But his power is too strong and has too much importance in his life to just let him go, so he's been living half- dead. Accepting a gift fully, like the power that we hold, is something that asks a great deal of bravery and strength. Unlike us, who are all gathered in a clan where we can count on each other, Muraki was alone and for what he could remember, the gift was only a curse to him."  
  
"So he refused it."  
  
"That's why he wants our little granddaughter. He thinks he can find a way to accept his gift with her at his side, since she had no problem to."  
  
Atsuko looked thoughtfully at Kamuro for a long time, before smiling softly, mocking him a little. "I suppose that's why you're 'The First Elder'…" Silence fell around the two speakers as they kept on gazing at their magical water mirror. "Arashi loved you, from the bottom of her heart. She really did, you know. But we were twins, I was another part of her body, of her soul. That's why she went away without telling you a word. Because at that time, you wouldn't have understood."  
  
Kamuro sighed heavily. "I know. I was jealous of your relationship. Because there was a part of her I couldn't reach, that only you could. I had given her all of me, I had let wander within my heart and soul, and I was being refused the same…" he chuckled lightly. "I was such a spoiled brat… Looks like I've grown too. But so have you."  
  
Atsuko looked at her companion and whispered to him, a secret she longed to tell him for years. "Reiji knew about you… I told him a long time ago, when he asked me why you kept on looking at him. First, I used to lie and tell him it was because he had a great power, but once he cornered me, telling me he knew it wasn't the truth and that he wanted it… Clever little brat. I think it was when he was about to hit 9 years old…" Sadness overwhelmed her and she started to cry softly. Her once brother-in-law put his arms around her shoulders.  
  
"It's over now… He's gone." His own pain was killing him softly but he would allowed it to take him within the welcoming arms of Death only when the child that was supposed to take his place would be ready. "His mother surely is happy to see him…but thank you for telling me." He added quietly, removing his arm from her shoulders.  
  
"I think that we all need to grow up." Atsuko said, drying her tears.  
  
"Yes and for that we're all going out to help. Fetch that grandson of mine, he's hiding near the cave, up in a tree. Tell Toya, he has to choose: it's either you or me. And I wouldn't be happy if I had to go there by myself."  
  
As the woman walked away, the man whispered softly to the water:  
  
"Yes, only you could understand him, Saito-san. Because like him, for a long time, you refused to accept that man for what he truly was: your father. Because of the pain he put you through, you hated him from the bottom of your young heart with an intensity that should have never reached for a boy of that age… But you accepted him, now. You accepted what you've done, you accepted the fact that you loved him even if you thought that you hated him. I wish that Muraki would see the light like you, but…"  
  
::::::::::::::::::::~::::::::::::::::::::~::::::::::::::::::::  
  
"Muraki. Let her go."  
  
Tokio stopped fighting and turned around: Saito was standing a few meters from them, katana in hand, his ken-ki was brighter than never before. As ice in the sun, her fear of the killer holding her melt away. Tokio felt safe because he was there. Because he was always there.  
  
Muraki slowly turned around to face Saito. The smirk on his lips disappeared as the intensity of his opponent ken-ki hit him.  
  
How could this be? He was deeply wounded and losing a great amount of blood. More, he's just been deeply injured the day before. So how could he stand like that, in the middle of the night, drowning under a heavy rain while his blood was forming a red pool at his feet. Muraki growled in rage: the one he thought was already defeated still stood in his way. He sent Tokio crashing in a wall, nearby and yelled at Saito:  
  
"How many times should I have to kill you? You should have let death take you! Now, I will greatly enjoy killing you really slowly!"  
  
Saito took his fighting stance:  
  
"I made a mistake, earlier, I should have killed you when you were at my mercy. But I pitied you, so I did nothing. This will not happen twice. Come."  
  
Muraki lured himself at Saito "Pitied me? I don't want you to pity me! You bastard, I'll show you!"  
  
Tokio stood up, back still on the wall, eyes wide at the fight going on. She was shaking, she couldn't do anything.  
  
I'm such a coward.  
  
Tokio clenched her fists. Even if I'm to die, then I'll die at least protecting him. He did so much for me, this isn't his battle, this is mine: I have to stop fearing him…Muraki…and everything will be alright.  
  
She closed her eyes and focused on the two fighters in front of her. Fight off your fears, my girl.  
  
A soft hand brushed her cheek, a familiar smell tingled her nose: her parents were with her.  
  
Always, little one.  
  
Father, how can I fight?  
  
Do you love the Wolf?  
  
I…  
  
Do you?  
  
…Yes.  
  
Then, forget about the fear and let your love for him shine.  
  
Your love for him will pierce the dark clouds above you.  
  
Mother…  
  
It's you who summoned all this rain and created this storm, because you were scared. Now, my daughter, let love outcast fear.  
  
Mother… thank you.  
  
It's a fine young man that you chose.  
  
Tokio felt warmth invade her. Light surrounded her, filling her.  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
Saito felt like he was watching his own fight with Muraki as a spectator of a show. How weird. Around him, a wolf and a bird were defending him from… Things… That was the only way he could put it to describe what were trying to attack him from behind. The wolf and bird were obviously stronger than Muraki's pets, but it didn't save them from several cuts and light wounds: the bird's white wings were covered with red and the wolf's fangs were dripping a red liquid. The wolf turned its head to the skies and howled in victory as the last of Muraki's toys died. The latter cried out in pain and Saito didn't miss the occasion to cast him a blow.  
  
But it wasn't enough.  
  
Muraki looked up at Saito, his eyes were injected with blood. From his mouth, red saliva was falling. He was panting and swearing, cursing Saito with words the latter couldn't understand. Something hit him with full force, sending him in the next wall, making him howl in pain. As if a sword, which had been placed in a fire, was torturing his insides, Saito felt himself losing it to pain. He crumbled on the ground, back leaning on the wall.  
  
Something's missing.  
  
He coughed blood and shakily wrapped his left arm around his torso, moaning.  
  
No. This can't be happening.  
  
Behind Muraki, Saito could see Tokio, shaking, on her knees, holding her middle, crying in pain.  
  
Tokio…  
  
"There is another way to free someone from a link, did you know, Miburo? Of course not, it's a forbidden spell, like one of her father used." Muraki explained, jerking his head in Tokio's direction. "Serves you right, Tokio- chan. Did you really believe I would have let you fall in love with this bastard?" Muraki turned back to Saito. "Anyway, I bet it hurts, no? I wouldn't know, the Magami are too coward to try to do something like that." Muraki sat on his heels in front of Saito and grinned. "You see, I've just torn both of your souls in two." He cocked his head on the side and amused himself by stabbing Saito in the hands, hips and arms, causing the Miburo to yell in pain, each time louder. His voice filled the night each time Muraki took away some of his life but if someone, of the houses around, heard him, he did as if nothing happened and probably kept on sleeping.  
  
"I like the sound of the voice, Saito-san. But not as much as Tokio-chan's voice." He laughed again.  
  
Tokio raised her head and glared at Muraki's back, she was hurting like hell and feeling numb in the same time, as if someone had just cut her one arm: the pain was so intense that she couldn't feel anything but she had to do something for Saito. She had to do something for the man she fell in love with. How easy it was to admit now that she felt she was about to lose him… She shook with horror as the man stab Saito in his right arm to make him yell again.  
  
No.  
  
The pain was tearing her apart, but she couldn't let it matter to her, right now. She had to help Saito, but how? She remembered how her parents' warmth surrounded her and stood up difficultly. She walked to stand behind Muraki, catching his sword with her bare hands barely in time to save Saito from another blow.  
  
"What?" Muraki spun around, surprised. Muraki, angered, punched Tokio in the face, punch that she couldn't avoid since she had use her last bit of strength to stand up and catch the deadly sword, knocking her out. She fell on the ground like a lifeless doll.  
  
Hajime…  
  
"Feh, serves you right, bitch. I'll teach you later how to serve your master." Muraki turned back to Saito and a pair of glaring golden eyes greeted him.  
  
Muraki fell backwards, astonished, as Saito's ken-ki once again, flared up.  
  
"Don't you…" Panting, Saito glared at Muraki. "Dare… to touch…her."  
  
Muraki blinked several times before answering, casting Saito his best wolfish smile:  
  
"And who will stop me, Miburo? You?"  
  
Saito braced himself and gathered his last bits of strength to stand up defiantly in front of Muraki, who astonished didn't make a move to stop him.  
  
"Try me." Saito smiled in his most feral way and tightened his hold on his katana until his knuckled turned white.  
  
Muraki couldn't believe his eyes. How could this man still stand up? He had been stabbed several times, had deep injuries, one on the back and one on his side, and he was still standing up. Muraki narrowed his eyes: magic was filling the air but where was the source of the magic? Muraki could almost see the magic: to him, it was like a golden aura coming around Saito, supporting his arms and legs, giving him strength.  
  
Muraki jumped on his feet; anger was making his limbs shake, and raised his sword above his head, running madly in Saito's direction.  
  
Saito, who waited until the very last moment, stepped a little on the side and drew his sword in Muraki's unprotected torso.  
  
Muraki dropped his sword on the ground and gazed stupidly at the sword planted in his body. He blinked several times and started to fell backwards, murmuring:  
  
"Tokio…"  
  
As he hit the ground, his eyes fell on Tokio's still form: the golden aura was radiating from her body. She was the source. She was…  
  
"Mother…"  
  
A last small path of red blood made it way down Muraki's face.  
  
Tokio moaned and pushed herself off the ground. She looked through her hair that had fallen on her face: Muraki was lying at Saito's feet, a sword pinched in his body. The Miburo, however, was still standing but it was obvious he was about to collapse. Tokio stood up quickly and ran to his side but she wasn't fast enough to catch him before that he hit the ground. She reached out for him, kneeling at his side and put his head on her lap, making him turn in the circle of her arms.  
  
"HAJIME!" She cried out, as if with only a call she could push Death away.  
  
The rain had stopped falling.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"OKITA-SAMA!"  
  
Okita spun around as one of his recruits called out for him: the man pointed in the alley behind them direction. A wolf was there, sitting calmly as if it was waited to be noticed. As soon as Okita saw it, he understood who it was. The wolf stood up and turned its head to the skies, howling. It then turned around and disappeared in the night.  
  
Okita lost no time:  
  
"You!" he yelled, appointing one of his men. "Run to Harada, tell him to meet me in front of the East Door!"  
  
The man ran in the opposite direction from where they were coming and Okita barked orders to his other fellow to keep on patrolling while he was away. He then ran to the East Door.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Out of breath, Harada let Okita in front of the East Door. The younger man was looking frantically around.  
  
As soon as he arrived at a hearable distance, Harada yelled at Okita "What?"  
  
"Saito needs us! Ah! There it is! Come on!"  
  
Okita past Harada, running.  
  
"Okita! Wait!" Harada cried out.  
  
Okita yelled over his shoulder. "Come on, you dolt! Can't you see the wolf? It's covered with blood!"  
  
"Wolf? I can't see any damn fucking animal in here!" Harada asked, disbelief.  
  
But Okita didn't answer him and so Harada kept on running after his friend.  
  
*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.  
  
Tokio hugged Saito closer. She was crying her eyes out, sometimes looking up for someone who could help them. She had cried to the inhabitants of the houses around them to come outside and help them, but no one answered to her cries.  
  
"Hajime," she whispered in his ear, "please, don't die. Please. Please." She sobbed harder and clutched and the fabric of his shirt. "Hajime… I love you."  
  
A wolf howl caught her attention, making her look up again. The wolf came, running, followed the Captains of the First and Second Squad of the ShisenGumi. Both men were drenched and panting hard, but Tokio paid no attention to them as she was focused of the wolf in front of her.  
  
The wolf looked at her and Saito for a long time, then turned around and started to walk away. Tokio let a small cry of despair escaped her lips:  
  
"No!"  
  
Okita and Harada watched, frozen at the scene in front of them: Saito, looking dead, in the girl's embrace.  
  
"Come back!" Tokio cried out again. "Please! You don't have the right to leave me! You promised, you selfish bastard! COME BACK!" She was turning hysterical but it didn't stop the wolf of walking away.  
  
Tokio clenched her fists:  
  
"Fine! Then, I'll come with you!" She looked behind her and grabbed Muraki's sword, still crying. Her great white bird landed next to her. The wolf stopped frozen in its tracks, it, then, turned back slowly as if it couldn't believe what she had just said.  
  
"Tokio-chan, NO!" Okita yelled, running to her. She had lifted the sword holding it by the blade, to her throat. She had intended to cut her own throat open but angry fangs snatched the sword away from her. Tokio watched the wolf that was Saito in disbelief as the wolf growled low in its throat as if it wanted to lecture her. Between her tears, she smiled and hugged Saito while the bird stroke its head against the wolf neck. The both of them then vanished together and Harada clearly saw Saito take a deep breath, a labored one but a breath.  
  
Okita kneeled next to Saito:  
  
"He needs medical attention or he'll die. Harada."  
  
The young man didn't even bothered to answer and ran for a doctor. He was about to turn in a alley when a group of seven people caught his attention: as they came closer, Harada realized that it was Tokio's brother and the Magami first Elder surrounded by people that could only be the Magami Elder Council. Harada waited for them and led them to Tokio, Saito and Okita without a word.  
  
:~.~:~.~:~.~:~.~:~.~:~.~:~.~:~.~:~.~:~.~:  
  
He's been hurt. Injured. Because of her. If she had remained in the Magami Estate, if she…  
  
Tokio covered her face with her hands and started crying, for at least the hundredth time. She was looking over Saito, who was resting in their room, trying to recover from his fight with Muraki, 2 weeks before. He had slept through the whole two weeks and Tokio had never left his side, scared that he might need anything or that she might no be there when he would wake up. The physician had told her and Okita, Saito would wake up soon but it's been almost 2 weeks now that he's been sleeping…  
  
The old doctor who had came back for a check up was astonished but Okita and the others couldn't exactly explain the old man who tended the wounds of the Captain that it was the young woman as pale as a ghost who had actually saved the Miburo' s life and that his soul would have been broken. That's why he needed to sleep, Toya reassured them all saying that it was perfectly normal, but…  
  
Saito moaned in his sleep and quickly, the young woman removed her hands and looked up at him. But the man remained still and Tokio started to sob again, she put her head in the hollow of his shoulder and whispered through her tears:  
  
"Hajime, wake up, please, Hajime…" her voice broke when the sobs, more violent now, shook her violently. Finally, exhausted, she fell asleep against him.  
  
::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=:=  
  
Saito slowly became aware of his own body and injuries, something warm was pressed against his side and he felt a dead weight on his left shoulder. He tried to open his eyes when a familiar voice quietly said:  
  
"Ah, I see that you finally decided to wake up, Saito-san."  
  
Okita.  
  
Saito groaned and opened his eyes, the younger man was sitting on his right, behind him the window was opened and Saito could see the full moon. He took his eyes back to the youngster who was smiling, as usual.  
  
"Tokio-chan remained at your side through the days and nights that had followed your fight against Muraki. She wouldn't take any rest and so her brother cheated and put something in her tea, guess it worked."  
  
Tokio was blissfully asleep next to him, in her sleep, she had thrown an arm around his waist and she had pressed herself against his side. Saito sighed and rested his cheek against the top of her head, closing his eyes, looking for what was supposed to be broken in his soul.  
  
Muraki had destroyed their link, he had clearly felt it during the fight but still he hoped that… and Saito felt it.  
  
Their link.  
  
On one hand, he was relieved that it had survived; on the other, the sensible part told him that it was wrong. He was supposed to die. Not live, now she was bound to him, she'll never gain her freedom. Linked to a cold- hearted killer. She deserved better. But, a little voice, from the darker parts of his mind told him that he was a fool because he couldn't live without her. Oh, no, he'd rather die that feel again what Muraki made him felt when he cut their connection.  
  
Saito opened his eyes when Okita spoke again:  
  
"She was the one who called you back. After that Muraki broke your link and that you killed him and almost died in the process, she in a way or another, linked herself back to you. When we found the both of you," Okita kept on, "she was hugging you, crying her heart out, and coming from the middle of nowhere the wolf walked to her, deadly injured. Like you." Okita's smile flattered a little and his eyes took a vague expression, as if the man was looking at the past.  
  
"Tokio-chan saw it too and extended her arms to it, telling it to come back to her, that it didn't have the right to leave her because it had promised, that it was selfish. First, I thought she had gone mad, then I understood: that was you she was calling back to life. But, as stubborn as you, the wolf started to walk away and she said she'd walk with you. A great bird came and she took your sword from your hand, the wolf stopped frozen and turned back and when she was about to stab herself, the wolf threw itself on the sword and sent it away from her. She hugged you and the bird disappeared as the wolf. Then, her brother and 6 other persons arrived and they did something. The brother told us they linked you back to her so that you'd lived. Harada and I disagree on this, we both believe you'd have live through it, because she called you back."  
  
Saito listened to Okita's speech, dumbstruck, why? Why did she? The words were turning in his head. Okita probably saw his blank face and mocked Saito, saying:  
  
"You, who are so proud of yourself because you understand the other at the perfection, when it comes to you!" the young man shook his head and added "She loves you, that why she did it. Baka ne." Okita rose to his feet and made his way out, "I bet now this wedding's no longer a way to hide her... she will wake up soon. The potion was supposed to last for 5 hours."  
  
Still a little daze at the fact that Okita actually called him Baka, Saito watched him leave without a word.  
  
He watched the moon disappeared behind the clouds, fascinated and saw it come back to shine again among the stars, by the window. So engrossed that he was in the awe of the moon that he didn't felt her wake up. He turned back his head when he heard quiet sobs and Tokio's eyes, full of tears, greeted him. She threw her arms around his neck and cried harder; a small smile made its way up to his lips and he hugged her back.  
  
She was saying incoherent things to him but it didn't matter: he was just glad to be back, to have her even if it was just for a while. He couldn't let her link herself back to him while he could die any minute; after all, the war wasn't over.  
  
She must have felt it because she stiffened in his arms and jerked from his embrace and yelled to him:  
  
"How dared you? Dared to think that you could leave me behind!" Tokio then closed her little fists and started to hit him in the chest. "You, selfish bastard, trying to break your promise, now you're back and you're still thinking of leaving me behind? How dare you? You're mine, Hajime Saito! I won you over Death! You came back! To me! To me! Mine! Got it? Don't you dare to even think of leaving me behind!" She would have go on if Saito hadn't let a single moan of pain escaped his lips but well, he didn't actually plan it, but the pain and the shock of her yelling at him gave in.  
  
Tokio stopped abruptly, feeling guilty and she threw herself abruptly back to him begging for him to forgive her.  
  
Saito grunted and held her close, he knew he deserved it but he wanted her to stop apologizing to him, so he did the only sensible thing to him to quiet her: he kissed her.  
  
Saito reluctantly let her go, opening his eyes: she had still hers closed and she slowly passed some trembling fingers on her lower lip.  
  
"I guess I could have done this before to silence you…" he whispered. "I'm sorry."  
  
::_::_::_::_::_::_::_::_::_::_::_::_::_::_::  
  
After drying her tears, they lied down on the futon and under the pale light of the moon, she whispered to him what had happened while he was out.  
  
She told him the Elders arrival; the ceremony of establishment of her brother…Saito listened quietly to her soft voice, a hand buried in her hair, sometimes playing with it. When she fell silent, they remained together, in the arms of each other, enjoying the quiet of the night, as if their world had stopped turning to let them share a moment of intimacy. When a growl broke the silence.  
  
Tokio leaned on her elbow looking down at him, a graceful eyebrow up in a mocking manner, a smile tugging her lips. So when his stomach growled again, she laughed but her laughter broke when her own stomach growled back to him. They stared at each other and together they burst in laughter.  
  
She put her forehead on his and said, giggling:  
  
"See, even our bodies agree on, you and I belong to each other."  
  
"I guess I lost my first battle over a little lady."  
  
She smiled and shook her head negatively:  
  
"Nobody lost here, there're only two winners, aren't there?" She asked, looking deeply in his golden eyes.  
  
Saito caressed her cheek, down to her lips, which he gently traced with one finger: "Yes, there are." He pulled her back in his arms and kissed the top of her head. "I think, woman, we'd better start looking for some food before you wake that whole damn house up!" he teased as her stomach growled fiercely.  
  
She pouted a little but helped him to stand up. Together, Saito's leaning on her, a arm across her shoulders, they went down the stairs and made their way to the kitchen. They found some snacks in one of the cupboards and they started to eat.  
  
Tokio let her gaze wandered on her man. He was wearing a light yukata, revealing his hard chest, covered by a bandage. She pointed out that his bandage needed to be changed and she decided that he also needed a bath, much to Saito's reluctance.  
  
…=…=…=…=…=…=…=…=…=…=…=…=…=…=…=  
  
Tokio talked him into taking a bath at 3 in the morning: that's how Saito found himself in the bathhouse while his wife was lighting up the fire. Saito sighed and shook his head, he undressed himself, tied a towel around his waist and carefully, he undid the bandage around his torso. It was a pretty nasty cut, made by Muraki's sword, running on his stomach in a diagonal line. The skin was red and it was stinging him as he poured some now warm water on it, carefully. Following the line with one finger, he thought of what this new scar would forever meant for him… and for her. He had several other new scars, running on his arms, legs and hands where Muraki had stabbed him for pure fun… Muraki.  
  
He remembered their fight: when the man cried and shook with misery as he explained to Saito how his obsession turned into love, how he feared the darkness he lived in.  
  
Yes that could only be the reason: Muraki was born with a gift but he was scared by his gift, it only brought pain and misery to him, only darkness. So, he fought against it, perhaps even not consciously, but he fought against it, he refused to let himself marked by his gift. And when he met a little girl with the same gift as his but so happy, so carefree that she could practice on her own without protection, he felt jealous, he wanted to hold her light… And with time, Muraki turned his obsession into love. Saito sighed again and called himself foolish for feeling pity for an enemy, that wasn't in his nature, but here he couldn't help. Maybe because Muraki reminded himself as a child. When he was a child…  
  
______________________________________  
  
Tokio was in charge of lighting up the fire to heat up the bath: grumbling a little and making sure that nobody was there, she released a small spell that did the job. She walked back in the bathhouse, not daring to open the panel that separated her from the bathroom. Suddenly, she felt sorrow, grief, pain and misery passed through their link. Blinking tears back as the full emotional blast caught her, she did the only sensible thing to her: she slammed the door open.  
  
______________________________________  
  
The sound of the door being opened brutally jerked Saito out of his sad musings over his childhood and, astonished, he watched Tokio running to him. Again, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her head in his right shoulder. Saito smiled and stroke her head:  
  
"Did your brother let you fall on your head while you were little?"  
  
Tokio jerked her head away from his hand and looked up, outraged.  
  
"What the hell does that mean?"  
  
"Are you crazy?"  
  
She pushed him away and he fell on his butt, but he was laughing lightly.  
  
"Tokio, he said, you burst in the room and threw yourself to me as if there was a monster running after you? What do you want me to think?"  
  
Pouting, she kneeled in front of him and gently put her arms back around his neck.  
  
"I felt suddenly so lost and… bad… I…" unable to finish her sentence, she bit her lower lip.  
  
"Stupid." Saito kissed her lightly. Tokio leaned again on his shoulder, sniffling. "I thought I had already asked you to stop crying."  
  
"You didn't ask" she bit back "you barked." She pushed herself off him and looked at him. "By the way, you really need that bath, you stink."  
  
Saito laughed again and stood up with her help.  
  
He hugged her from behind as she had turned to leave him alone and whispered in her ear.  
  
"I've learned my lesson. And I will keep my promise to you. I swear."  
  
Tokio turned in his embrace and looked up at him.  
  
"I love you too." She whispered and Saito tightened his hold on her, burying his head in her shoulder.  
  
._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.  
  
THE END  
  
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! IT'S FINALLY OVER!!!!!!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!  
  
Anyway, I wanted a write a lemon sequel but I found out that I can't write lemons !_! Bah, maybe later.  
  
So how did you guys found it? I mean the story. Did you like it? Which part needs reworking? (I'm too tired to check in the dictionary if "reworking" really exists a word, so please, bear me.) Was the end understandable? It was quite hard to write and I think that it must be really confusing. Ah, I'm sorry!  
  
I've just realized how much my ending (I mean the part with Tokio's mother) sounded like the Escaflowne one… Bouuuuh, bouuuuuuuuh, I didn't mean to, I'm sorry guys…  
  
Anyway, I'm happy this finally came out. You see, I wrote this chapter THREE times.  
  
I deleted the first version because it was horrible and the second time it was all too mushy for my taste… Argh but I kinda like how this story turned out. Anyway, thank you all for reviewing, for helping me. I hope you'll remember my fic and read the next works I'll do…  
  
Now, see you all.  
  
BTW, a sequel (not a lemon, though) is planned called "A Cat and a Dragon." It's on Tokio's weird answer when Saito told her about Shigekura's death!!!  
  
AAAAAAAAHHHHH! I'm already giving too much of the story! Oh, well, but the sequel won't be out for a long time! I'm sorry, but school has been quite stressful these last days… (when are the vacations???????)  
  
~_^ mikim 


	13. A Cat and a Dragon. [side-story *finally...

* * *

"A Cat and a Dragon"

As usual standards disclaimers apply. The song belongs to the Joe Hisaishi, i think. From the Sen to Chihiro Soundtrack.

* * *

Tokio had been helping Arashi all day at the inn, helping her to clean up the rooms, preparing the meals, arranging the flowers and so on and so on. The day was bright and she hadn't felt so cheerful for a long time. A feeling of guilt kept on tugging at her soul but she refused to acknowledge it by busying herself with her newfound friend.   
Lunch time had came and passed without Tokio noticing it so it was with surprise that Kagome forced her to sit in the kitchen with the other maids to enjoy her meal. Kagome's kids too were there, making a ruckus in the kitchen as usual, the boys and their little sister had already eaten but they liked to stick in the kitchen. Tokio was sitting next to Arashi, on the porch leading to the garden, their meal trays lying, forgotten and empty besides them. The maid was babbling on her dream love: the captain of the second squad, making Tokio smile.  
For a reason or another, the kids got banished from the kitchen and were sent rather abruptly in the garden. The little boys watched at themselves, shrugged and ran away to cause some more mischief. Sakura-chan looked hesitantly between the girls sitting on the porch and her brothers, unable to decide what to do.   
Tokio noticed her and called for her:   
"Sakura-chan! Come here!" She waved heartily at the little girl and was greeted by a sunny smile on her cherry face. Sakura-chan ran to them, laughing heartily, and nearly jumped on Tokio's lap.   
"Tokio-neesan!!!!" She cried in greetings, her exuberant little arms closing themselves fiercely around Tokio's neck to give her a hug. Arashi giggled at Sakura-chan display and at Tokio's horrified expression when the little bundle of energy fell right on her lap and almost choked her to death. "Sing for me! Please!!! Pretty please!!!!!" She begged, trying to convince her by trying the 'puppy eyes' technique, as her brothers disgustedly put it.   
"Oh, yes! That's a great idea! Tokio-chan, you have such an incredible voice! Oh, please, sing us something again." Arashi added, clapping her hands expectedly.  
Tokio put a finger on Sakura-chan's nose and rubbed it, making the little girl giggle. "Hmm, I don't know." Tokio hesitated,   
"Oh, please, Tokio-chan, before Kagome-sama calls us to get back to work." Arashi begged and she grabbed Sakura-chan, making her sit in her lap and moved her head till she was cheek to cheek against Sakura-chan, and the two of them gave Tokio the best 'puppy eyes' they could achieve.   
Tokio laughed at their antics and gave in. "Okay, then. Let's see…" She turned her glittering eyes with laughter to the blue sky, trying to find a song. "Oh, there's a song my mother would sing to my brother and I whenever we were crying. Her voice, while singing this song, would wash away our tears because of the warmth she held in it." Sakura-chan clapped her hands happily, and exclaimed, rather loudly, tearing Arashi's ear, who was still holding her close. "Oh, yes, sing it, please, pretty please, Tokio-neesan." Tokio burst in laughter at Arashi's expression: her friend looked like she could see angels turning around her head.   
After stifling her laughter, thanks to a deadly glare from Arashi, Tokio answered the little girl. "Alright."  
Tokio's eyes turned dreamy, as if she was looking at something or someone the others couldn't see and her clear voice rose in the light of the mid-summer day.

She calls me this voice,   
Deep down my heart.  
I would like to dream   
Only dreams, which thrill me.  
I crossed oceans of sadness.  
But I know that on the other bank,   
I shall meet you certainly.  
I am this traveler  
Who always repeats the same errors.  
But who knows the blue of the sky   
To have investigated it in every fall.  
The road seems long and endless,  
But I can of these two arms   
Embrace the light  
My heart stops beating   
When I say to you goodbye.  
My empty and silent body   
Stretches out an ear towards the world.  
The wonder of the life,   
The wonder of the death.  
Flowers, wind and cities   
Participate in the same wonder.  
She calls me this voice,   
Deep down my heart.  
Always let us dream   
The same liked dreams.  
Rather than to enumerate   
The ritornelle of the misfortunes.  
Let us use the same lips   
To sing cheerfully.  
This voice locked   
Into every recollection.  
Let us continue to listen it and to keep it  
Affectedly the whisper.  
Over the mirror  
Broken in one thousand pieces.  
Thousands of new landscapes   
Are now reflected.  
Through the peaceful window   
Of the first morning.  
My empty and silent body   
Is going to fill with a new life.  
No more need to look   
Beyond seas.  
The spark of the happiness   
Is there, near me  
I found it finally.   
It is there deep down of me.

Tokio let her voice die, leaving an unreal silence around her.  
Arashi was the first to break it when she whispered. "Aah, I feel like I'm floating on a cloud. Your voice is simply enchanting."   
Trust Arashi to have silly expressions, Tokio thought, covering a chuckle with a hand. "Thanks, I'm glad you like it."   
"Will you teach me the song?" Sakura-chan burst in, her eyes locked on Tokio's face.  
"Arashi-chan!" A voice, behind them, suddenly called. It was Kagome, the owner of the inn, standing in the doorway with a soft smile on her lips.  
Arashi turned around and quickly stood up, putting Sakura-chan on the ground and gathering hers and Tokio's food tray. "Oh, it's Kagome-sama. I'm coming right now, Kagome-sama."   
Tokio stood up as well to follow Arashi when Kagome interrupted her. "No, no, Tokio-chan, you stay here. You helped us enough this morning, that was extremely kind of you."   
"Oh, no, Kagome-san, don't worry, i like it." Tokio answered truthfully.   
Kagome smiled back and gave in. "Then, maybe you could watch the scoundrels i have the great displeasure to call my children?"   
"Okaasan!" Sakura-chan stomped her little foot, annoyed by her mother's pet name for her and her brothers.  
Tokio looked down at her and threw a glance at the two boys, having a sword fight with some wood sticks. "I'd be glad to, Kagome-san." She told Kagome, meeting her eyes steadily. Kagome nodded and went back in the kitchen, in which Arashi followed her, smiling at Tokio.  
Sakura-chan wasted no time and tugged on Tokio's hand, leading her to the deeper part of the garden, next to the back door. "Tokio-neesan, come here."   
A small, tiger-like kitty walked lazily in the garden by the ajar door. Sakura-chan noticed and squealed, opening her arms wide and running toward the poor animal. "Oh, a baby cat." She exclaimed, brushing her cheek against the animal's. "Look, Tokio-neesan. It's a baby cat!" She added, extending her arms so that Tokio could see the cat.  
"It's cute." Tokio answered, but suddenly, the little cat broke free for the little girl's grip and ran away, by the door.

"Oh, wait!" Sakura-chan cried out, running after her cat, outside the garden.  
"Sakura-chan!" Tokio yelled after her, running as fast as she could in her kimono and sandals. The outside of the inn led to a street which turned in three different directions, but no Sakura-chan in sight. "Sakura-chan, come here." Tokio called, a bit upset of losing the girl so fast. "Sakura-chan, where are you?" She called again as no one answered her. A few passant were walking by, but when Tokio saw them, she couldn't muster enough courage to ask them if they hadn't seen a little girl, because one of them could be * him *.

  
Unknown to her, Sakura-chan wasn't looking where she was going, no she was only looking at the direction her cat was taking. That was why she didn't see the older boy, a lot bigger and heavier than her, joking with his friends, in whom she bumped into. "Wah!" She cried out, falling on her little butt. The boy too fell backwards but he jumped on his feet almost immediately after, but it didn't save him from the snickers and the sarcastic comments his friends made. They were joking on how easily a little girl could make him fall and despite the boy denials, his friends kept on snickering, making him angry.   
Sakura-chan, still sitting on the ground, raised her eyes to meet the angry ones of the boy she had just bumped into and suddenly heard her name being called. "Sakura-chan!"   
"Tokio-neesan!!" Scared, Sakura-chan stood up and backed from the older boy who marched on her, willing to show his friends he was much stronger than a little girl, but a strong hand stopped him.  
"Why don't you look for an enemy of your size?" The boy turned on his side, glaring at whoever was stopping him, but he met the violet eyes of a man with long red hair, tied up in a high ponytail, a sword on his side.

I am this traveler  
Who always repeats the same errors.  
But who knows the blue of the sky   
To have investigated it in every fall.

Kenshin came closer till he stood between the boy and his target and glared down at him, making him tremble and back away slowly to his friends. He then glared at the boy's friends too and the whole lot turned around and ran.  
"Sakura-chan!" A female voice called again, attracting the little girl's attention.   
"Tokio-neesan!" Kenshin turned around to see the little girl, presuming she was 'Sakura-chan' and handed her a small bundle which had ran into him a little earlier.  
"Here, chibi-chan. I think this baby cat is yours, no?" Kenshin smiled down at her, and was rewarded by the sunny smile she gave him.  
Sakura-chan beamed and held her cat close to her heart, looking up at the man. "Yes! Thank you a lot!" Unnoticed by the pair, Tokio arrived at that moment.  
"Oh, it's nothing, chibi-chan." Tokio stared at the young, red haired man that had helped Sakura-chan. He was barely 15 but he looked more than comfortable with the sword he held on his side. The dark blue hakama and the white gi were used, like some of a man who had been walking for a long time. 

The road seems long and endless,  
But I can of these two arms   
Embrace the light

His violet eyes gently looking down at Sakura-chan while she hugged his leg with one arm in thanks, her cat in the other arm. Something was wrong with this man. Tokio felt it instantly. Something was changing in him, something was starting to devour him, something was pulling him inside the darkness. Tokio shivered lightly, she had almost smelled blood coming from the young man.  
"Thank you so much for finding her and helping her out, sir." Tokio finally said, coming closer to the pair, her eyes settling themselves on the man. Sakura-chan squealed when she saw Tokio and ran to her. Tokio bent to the little girl level and hugged her, relieved of finding her but she never took her gaze off the man.   
"It was nothing." He answered, smiling gently at her, his violet eyes twinkling softly. Tokio stood up and Sakura-chan immediately attached herself around her leg.  
"Your daughter should just learn not to pick up fights with boys!" He ruffled Sakura-chan's brown hair, making her giggle, her little cheeks pink.   
A warm feeling rose in Tokio's chest: this man was dangerous, she could feel blood around him but he'd never harmed anyone for fun. No, despite the darkness that seemed to linger around the man, she could also see, as he ruffled Sakura-chan's hair a kind heart, much like the one of a child. He was a boy in the body of a man, a child lost in the horror of war.

Rather than to enumerate   
The ritornelle of the misfortunes.  
Let us use the same lips   
To sing cheerfully.

  
"She's not my mother!" The little girl said happily, attracting Tokio's attention, by tugging on her hand. "She's my Tokio-neesan!" Tokio took Sakura-chan in her arms, smiling softly down at her, even if her heart felt heavy for the man-child in front of her.   
"Thank you again, sir." She said, trying to see through the mask.  
"My name's Himura and please, don't call me sir, I'm not that old." The young man answered, suddenly blushing. This woman's eyes looked weird: they made him feel like a child. She seemed to see past his mask and Kenshin cursed himself for behaving like such a fool. He should just take his leave, but something about her made him feel… Well, almost like how he was feeling when he was a little boy, still behind his mother's skirts: young, carefree and ignorant of the horrors life could bring.   
Tokio smiled. "Then, thank you a lot, Himura-san. My name's Magami, Tokio Magami and this is Sakura-chan." Tokio said with a small bow, but she had to hide a smile behind her hand as Sakura-chan tried to copy her bow while the kitten she still held in her arms was trying to get free from the little girl's grip.  
"Well, Sakura-chan, Magami-san, goodbye and Sakura-chan be careful the next time!"   
"Hai!" She promised him, holding her cat with both hands this time.  
Tokio put Sakura-chan down and called out softly to the younger man. "Wait, Himura-san." The young red-hair man stopped and turned around, curious. And he froze, stunned.  
The sight of a woman out of the time greeted him: her long black hair having a will on their own, whirling around her, resting on her shoulders and her odd black eyes who seemed to see what other people couldn't. "The next time we'll meet, I'll be the one helping you." Her soft whisper reaching his ears on the wings of the soft wind which had suddenly raised when she had spoken. 

I would like to dream   
Only dreams, which thrill me.  
I crossed oceans of sadness.  
But I know that on the other bank,   
I shall meet you certainly.

Startled, the younger man said nothing and just stared at her, his violet eyes locked with her night gaze. The two of them remained unmoving, staring at each other, as if sharing a secret knowledge. 

My empty and silent body   
Is going to fill with a new life.

  
The mystic mood was suddenly broken by the young man who bowed deeply in front of the woman and turned around silently, as if nothing had happened or as if nothing was to be add.

The spark of the happiness   
Is there, near me  
I found it finally.   
It is there deep down of me.

  
Satisfied, Tokio nodded after his departure and took Sakura-chan's tiny hand in hers and led her back to the inn, knowing fully she'd see that young man again, when Fate would have marked him as one of her 'chosen ones'.   
A lost child angel in a time of war. A demon with the eyes of a children. He surely was an assassin.

She calls me this voice,   
Deep down my heart.


End file.
